I saw a report in the punch newspaper four days ago with the caption: Why we killed Shiite members in Kano – Police
In the report, when the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Idris Ibrahim, was asked on Tuesday why policemen would resort to killing people while quelling protests, Ibrahim said his men were confronted by protesters who were armed to the teeth in Kano.
His words:
“I agree with what you said (that Nigerians should not be killed while quelling riot) but when you have Nigerians armed to the teeth, killing police officers, I don’t think it happens anywhere.
“I think as Nigerians, we have to appreciate a dangerous situation, and be sympathetic with the police that are being killed by some of these miscreants,” he said.
I don’t want to bother myself analysing how people who were "armed to the teeth" that came out with the intention of fighting would took their elderly people, women, children including infants to the battle field confronting a well equipped security forces? Even though It sounds strange because I don’t remember seeing Niger Delta Avengers, Militants or any armed group facing security forces carrying their families along.
However, what is important to me is knowing the fact that hundreds thousand Shiites came out on Monday for the Arbaeen symbolic religious trek from Kano axis. And If the Shiites truly came out fully "armed to the teeth" and the police were able to dispersed them after killing about a hundred and arresting many in few hours operation, then the police deserves our appreciation and commendations. Moreover, it would be gratifying to know that our police have come of age and if they had wanted they would have stopped the Niger Delta Avengers. I am sure blowing up our pipelines is doing more harm to the country than the Shiites religious trekking from Kano to Zaria.
With this revelation we can vividly conclude that the Inspector general of police is indirectly telling us that the Nigerian Military had deliberately allowed Boko Haram insurgency to continue. Otherwise, if a riot Police can have the ability to stop a "fully armed to the teeth" hundred thousand Shiites in few hours then our better equipped and better trained Military does not have any excuse languishing in Sambisa forest for six years in the name of fighting few tens of thousands Boko Haram terrorist.
More than six years fighting, the Nigerian military have failed to end Boko Haram terrorism. Considering the performance of the New Nigerian police that defeated hundred thousand "armed to the teeth" Shiites in few hours, it will do Nigeria a whole lot of good if President Muhammadu Buhari as a matter of urgency replaces the seemingly exhausted Nigerian Military in Sambisa Forest with the New Nigerian police force that seems better capacitated, that is if we believe the Police boss narrative. Except if we are dealing with a regime of pathetic liars.
I think the police boss is underrating our sense of reasoning on this matter.
I wish I can mount a big bill board at the entrance of the police headquarters to be reminding our respectable Inspector General of Police daily that "COMMON SENSE IS NOT COMMON."
Like PMB, like Police IG