Campaign Against Impunity and
Domestic Violence, CAIDOV has called the attention of security operatives to
the unwholesome deployment of heavily-armed private security guards and the
potential build up of a private army which may become a threat to National
Security by Senator Buruji Kasamu.
In a petition written to the
Director-General, Department of State Security Service, (DSS) by CAIDOV, the
group said that apart from their findings due to researches conducted , only
few members of the public are aware that most of the men attached to the
Senator are private guards.
“We write with the intention
to intimate your office of what we perceive as a potential threat to the
security of the nation, safety of other citizens and to call on your department
to take the necessary steps to avoid what may eventually become a security
breach and an embarrassment to the nation and the security network in the
nearest future.
“Kindly note sir, that our
observation was informed by our understanding that Security all over the world
is more about the "total absence of threats" and definitely not in
all the physical security architecture we often put in place. It is a state of
psychological sense of safety essentially involving Intelligence gathering.”
CAIDOV said.
According to petition signed by the
National secretary of CAIDOV, Comrade Gbenga Soloki, CAIDOV drew from
information on global best practices in security corridors, and became aware of
the fact that Very Important Personalities (VIPs) are considered to be those
who, whenever they come to any harm, have the potential of affecting not only
them and immediate members of their family, but can threaten the security of
the state and a large number of people in the society.
“These people, to our understanding
are the people qualified for Protective Details of Security agencies. And they
come under different categories of Public Officers. And it is in the
light of the above, and based on our understanding, and having conducted
extensive research in relation to the above subject matter, that we are writing
this petition to your good office and to call your attention to the potential
threat posed to state security, of having a personality like Senator Buruji
Kasamu have unfettered access to protective details at the State's expense, and
uncontrolled allowance/permission to use heavily armed Private security
operatives.
“We need to draw the attention of
your esteemed office to the threats contained in this. Apart from the research
conducted by us, only few members of the public are aware that most of the men attached
to the Senator are private guards. More often than not they are mistaken as men
and officers of the Department of State Security (DSS) by the unsuspecting
publics, especially because they are dressed in black suits, T-shirts like
operatives of your department and sometimes carrying arms. In the event of any
security breach or laxity, the department will have a lot of explaining to do
(on its image) to convince the public about their identity. ”CAIDOV analyzed.
Using the dreaded Boko Haram sect as
an immediate case study, CAIDOV pointed out that members of the sect had at a
point been employed as private Security aides and details of some top
politicians, government functionaries including governors in Borno State before
they became uncontrollable.
“Our study also reveals that in most
cases, places and several instances where insecurity, militancy and armed
violence snowball into national crises, there had been a period of deliberate
nonchalance, laxity and sometimes complicity by those who are charged with the
security of the society. Senator Buruji Kasamu goes about with over fifty (50)
private security guards and all are heavily armed. Sir, we can then imagine
what a scene it will look like in a society where we have all the 109 Senators
in the Upper legislative chamber each employing the services of approximately
50 private Security details; each of the 360 members of the House of
Representatives; all commissioners in the services of each of the 36 states;
all past governors; former Senators and members of House of Representatives etc
and all of them treating themselves to this luxury of liberty and freedom that
is being accorded Senator Buruji Kasamu.
“One can also imagine a situation
where a private citizen have the capacity to hold down the security system and
operatives of an entire nation for weeks or even withstand a siege for months
in the case of any crime for which he is declared wanted. There are several
examples in this regard. The first time a ranking government official was
killed in the United States of America was at the Church of Heaven's Gate of
the Reverend Jim Jones in Guyana. The case of notorious Mexican drug lord,
Guzman El Chapo who recently broke jail in spite of all state security
apparatuses is also fresh in the memory. He was able to achieve this feat
because of the retinue of personal extra security at his disposal.
“We are not persuaded by reasons of
logic and security that Senator Kasamu enjoys more privileged status than his
colleagues in the Senate and other eminent citizens of our country. We
therefore call on your good office to urgently intervene to arrest these real,
actual and potential threats to the security of the Nigerian state and the good
citizens of the country.” The petition read further.
Campaign Against Impunity and
Domestic Violence (CAIDOV) was formed by professionals from different
fields, especially journalists and human rights activists who felt
concerned about the growing impunity among Nigeria's political leaders on the
one hand, and increasing cases of domestic violence in the country. They are
concerned that concerted efforts must be directed towards reducing not only the
various acts of impunity but also the increasing rate of domestic violence
which they believe can only be reduced through actionable advocacy and vigorous
campaign from different sectors of the society.
CAIDOV had courageously campaigned
against domestic violence and violators are being reported to constituted authorities
for appropriate action.
