My Nigeria…

Action Congress (AC) has said it will not allow the case of attack by naval ratings against a defenceless woman, Ms. Uzoma Okere, to be swept under the carpet, while calling for a concerted effort by all concerned to end such attacks.
In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party expressed the hope that the on-going investigation into the case by the Chief of Defence Staff, on the orders of President Umaru Yar’Adua, will lead to the prosecution of all those found culpable, irrespective of their ranks.
The party also said the brutal and barbaric attack on Ms. Okere has highlighted a problem that is not limited to the navy, the army or the air force, saying the police are the most guilty.
“Everyday across Nigeria, the police engage in senseless attacks and extra-judicial killings of the same citizens they are paid to protect, using the guns purchased for them through taxpayers‘ funds. The unfortunate case of Ms. Okere should be an opportunity to take a holistic look at these attacks and bring an end to them,’’ AC said.
For instance, it said, bullion vans driven and escorted by the police across the country drive around so recklessly, harassing, maiming and killing innocent citizens, yet they carry no plate numbers by which they could be identified.
“This is illegal and we hereby call on the Inspector-General of Police to order the arrest of bullion van drivers whose vehicles do not have plate numbers. This is a serious issue, as offending bullion vans can never be traced under the present, inexplicable system whereby the menacing vans cruise around without plate numbers,’’ the party said.
Apart from the problem of bullion vans, AC said the police, especially in Lagos, have recently started targeting upwardly mobile young men and women around Ikoyi, Ikeja and Victoria Island, among others, under the guise of carrying out ‘stop and search‘, threatening to shoot them if they fail to ‘’cooperate’’.
‘’This harassment must stop before it snowballs into another deadly chain of extra-judicial killings. The police can carry out their important responsibility of ensuring the security of lives and property without killing and maiming the same people they are paid to protect,’’ it said.
The party commended Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos for his pro-active efforts to stem the harassment and attacks on defenceless citizens by banning the use of sirens in the state, and called on other governors to follow suit.

AC also praised the Lagos Governor for using the power of his office to back the clamour for justice for Ms. Okere, saying that the governor has so far said and done everything right since the case was reported by the media.