Is Aregbesola Behind Insecurity In Nigeria?

By Adebayo Adedeji

While growing up, jailbreak was a rarity. We only watched it in the action packed Arnold Schwarzenegger’s films. But today, it has become part of us, courtesy Rauf Aregbesola, a federal minister only active when public holidays are announced.

Since 2019 when he became a minister, no fewer than seven jailbreaks have been recorded. And in each of the jailbreaks, many inmates found their ways to the streets. In 2021 alone, over 5,000 inmates escaped.

The most recent jailbreak is that of Kuje prison where 879 inmates, including 64 members of the Islamic State of West Africa Province, escaped. ISWAP is an offshoot of the Boko Haram terrorist group.

Like many jailbreaks that have taken place, the last jailbreak is a source of worry and sheer embarrassment to the country’s security architecture that a prison located close to the seat of power of Nigeria, could be attacked with little gallant resistance. It is more disturbing when one understands that only 50 security personnel were on ground on the said day. Just 50 security men to guard a prison housing 64 ISWAP members! How would 50 men have put up the needed resistance against over 300 insurgents with Improvised Explosive Device who, according to Lieutenant Colonel Adisa of the Nigerian Army Battalion in Gwagwalada, came to free their men? And another shocker is that there was no Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) device at the prison. In the words of the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, “… we are disappointed that there are no CCTV, something that will record or at least give you a view of what is happening and sometimes record the event.”

How on earth does a centre as strategic as Kuje prison do not have any CCTV in spite all the huge yearly allocation to the centre? Is someone sabotaging the security?

Why the high rate of jailbreak under the stewardship of Rauf Aregbesola? Are the jailbreaks deliberate? Are they as a result of incompetence of Aregbesola?

Knowing Aregbesola as one with history of freeing criminals and making them escape justice, one may be tempted to reason that some high ranking officials of the ministry might be hand in glove with the criminals running from long hand of the law.

In December 2001, a popular politician and member of the Osun State House of Assembly, Odunayo Olagbaju (aka Misty) was bludgeoned to death in broad day light in front of a police station in Moore,  Ile-Ife. Eleven suspects were initially arraigned for the murder before seven more suspects were added to the list. But by the end of year 2002, the original eleven had been freed on bail while others were remanded. At the end of the court case, four of the suspects were convicted. Strangely, in November 2011, the then governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, basking in the euphoria of his one year in office, gave a Prerogative Pardon to the convicts. Why did  Aregbesola free convicts that confessed to have played a part in the assassination of Hon. Odunayo Olagbaju? Is it true those freed convicts were later drafted into “State Boys,” the notorious political thugs activated and enlivened during his administration as Osun governor?

Is the foregoing event relatable to the current situation of jailbreaks across the country? Are the incident of jailbreaks not calling to question Aregbesola’s competence and integrity as the supervising minister over the country’s prisons?

Does the Minister know one Funmilayo Akinlade, of Olorunsogo Ilesha, said to be an active member of his splinter group in Osun APC, who is a relative of Taiwo Akinlade, with inmate number 1057/013, one of the Kuje inmates at large?

The incessant jailbreaks in the country has been attributed to corruption and an official collusion. For these and other reasons, a call for the sack of Aregbesola has been intensified. One of those championing the call is the Human Rights Association of Nigeria (HURIWA). In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, the group said “The spate of jailbreaks under President Muhammadu Buhari and Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, is alarming and condemnable.”

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In the opinion of Onwubiko, the frequent and recurring jailbreaks show the inefficiency of all those President Buhari appointed into office and his unwillingness to sack them show also that the President tacitly want the situation to continue to fester. He further called for the sack of Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi and the Comptroller General of the Nigerian Correctional Centre ( Nigerian Prisons Service), Haliru Nababa, for their perpetual incompetence.

Beyond the conspiracy theory earlier painted (of Aregbesola’s knack for freeing prisoners for, perhaps, personal and political reasons), one may reason that Aregbesola is overwhelmed and incapable of providing the needed leadership in the ministry he is manning. Aregbesola, terribly battling negative optics occasioned by his lacklustre outing in office as state governor, does not seem to be giving his best in the interior ministry. His effort to court media for political traction makes him pander to too much pettiness. He dissipates unnecessary energy on inconsequential engagement. The other time, he was reported to have left his base in Abuja for Taraba to commission just one fire-fighting truck meant for the Federal Fire Service. Abuja to Taraba,  a trip of 568km, will take close to 10 hours by road. Why should Aregbesola, in the name of always wanting to be in the news, slide to this pitiable level? Why should he allow his penchant for media embracement make his ministry suffer the needed leadership? His ministry suffer in all fronts because of his indiscretion. Under him as the supervising minister for the Federal Fire Service, the Service, for instance, in Q2 of 2021, received 638 distressed calls in which 27 lives were lost and property estimated at N3trillion destroyed. Can anyone be proud of the monstrous destruction of lives and properties?

According to reports, a large number of NSCDC officers, under the watch of his ministry, are often  carelessly posted to Osun State to give cover to him and his retinue of lieutenants who are spoiling for political fights with the incumbent governor. Some of these officers, expected to be providing security at strategic points around the country, including at the correctional centres which currently are subject of incessant attacks, are seen casually carrying out order for personal and political gains of the minister.

It has, again, been noted that a good number of these paramilitary operatives are equally attached to non-state actors espousing their loyalty to the minister. The unpatriotic action of using security men for political motive is perturbing and should no longer be tolerated.

Aregbesola’s devotion to crass pettiness comes at a great price to Nigerians who now fear the consequences of condemned criminals roaming the streets. However, it is hoped President Buhari will muster the political will to remedy the situation so confidence of the governed can be restored before it is too late.