We All Share in Nation's Crime, Says Obasanjo
From Ahamefula Ogbu in Abuja
President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday blamed Nigerians for the nation's eroding social values, which has led to increased criminal activities in the country.
Declaring open a security summit organised by the House of Representatives in Abuja, the President particularly singled out the Police and Nigeria Customs Service, who he said, aid and abet armed robbers and smugglers.
Obasanjo noted that a situation where police hire out their guns to robbers in numbers large enough to even wage a war was uncomplimentary to the reformatory or crime prevention efforts of the society, recalling a case in Akwa Ibom State where 142 AK47 rifles were recovered from robbers.
"This is enough to equip a military company or enough to wage a war on a big city. Police hire out their guns to armed robbers; what do we do? Customs men are the chief smugglers; what do we do? What do we do with our borders," he asked.
According to him, any crime committed in any part of the country was a direct failure on the part of the family, community and religious bodies because family and social values had been abandoned.
He criticised churches, which collect huge amount of donations from members even when such donors had no means of livelihood, and called for a change in attitude as the situation was still redeemable. He reiterated efforts of his administration to arm every organisation involved in crime fighting and prevention.
In his remarks, Senate President, Chief Adolphus Wabara, described the summit as a "wonderful project" that would help improve the laws of the country as a prelude to addressing security lapses in the country.
He agreed that provision of security as part of maintaining law and order was the responsibility of the state, saying the National Assembly has not been resting on its oars in its oversight functions for the security and stability of the country, adding that "I want to assure you that the National Assembly is alive to its security responsibilities and shall continue to consider and pass bills that will enhance peace and order and good governance in Nigeria.
We shall also use our position to help generate fresh ideas on crime detection and prevention and to ensure that the agencies charged with providing security have the resources, the stamina and the morale to do so."
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