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Benin Republic sends SOS to Nigeria ... as robbers kill 52 police officers, gendarmes
Rotimi Williams
ARMED robbers have gone on the rampage in Benin Republic, forcing the authorities of the francophone country, to send a distress message to the Nigeria Police.
At least 52 police officers and gendarmes have been killed so far and their arms taken away by the bandits.
The country has asked the Nigeria police to help evolve a policing strategy to tackle the sudden upsurge in violent crimes.
Sunday Punch learnt that the Beninnoise Inspector General of Police would soon be in Nigeria to hold consultations with Nigeria�s Inspector General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun, on how to tackle the menace.
The two countries are also to use the opportunity to reopen talks on the setting up of a joint border patrol.
Sunday Punch learnt that in the last three months, virtually all the top commercial banks in the country�s major cities had been attacked by gunmen.
Also under siege by the gunmen were companies owned by foreigners some of whom were threatening to pull out of the country.
It was gathered that the attacks, especially in the last four weeks, had extended to top government officials and security agents, some of whom were killed
Other victims of the banditry were some Nigerian businessmen with a few of them forced to relocate to Nigeria.
Part of the security measures to be discussed with Balogun, Sunday Punch learnt is the immediate establishment of the joint border patrol.
The plan had been on the drawing board for over one year due to an alleged lackadaisical attitude of the Benin Republic officials on the matter.
The uncooperative attitude of that country once led to the closure of Nigeria�s borders with Benin by President Olusegun Obasanjo for shielding transborder criminals terrorising Nigeria.
The closure of the border forced Benin to extradite Nigeria of transborder crime suspect, Ahmad Tidjani, who is currently facing sundry criminal charges in the country.
Sunday Punch learnt that shortly after the re-opening of the Nigerian borders, Benin reneged on its own part of the agreement over the joint border patrol.
These included realising crime suspects wanted in Nigeria and cooperating with the Nigerian security agents who were in that country on investigation.
Though, Tidjani is a facing charges in Nigeria, other transborder suspects who assist the police in their investigation and his prosecution are still being kept by the Beninoise authorities.
If established, the border patrol will enable the two countries not only to patrol each other�s borders but also empower the officers to enter the countries with their arms without hindrance or formalities.
It will also enable them to effect the arrest of wanted suspects in each other�s territory.
The countries signed a memorandum of understanding before the reopening of the Nigerian borders which made it mandatory for the two countries to cooperate with each other in their bid to tackle crime.
The eventual arrest and interrogation of Tidjani, opened a can of worms on the alleged complicity of top Benin officials in the reign of terror unleashed on Nigeria by the criminals.
No fewer than 20 top security officials including the country�s former Inspector General of Police were removed by President Mathew Kerekou after they indicted by a special investigation panel set up by the government.
Most of the officials were said to be on the pay roll of Tidjani, while some of the snatched vehicles in Nigeria were allegedly recovered in the homes of some Benin officials.
Investigations into the activities of Tidjani and the alleged complicity of the top Benin officials reportedly started shortly after the attack on the convoy of Dr. Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, daughter of the Nigeria�s President, in which at least three persons, including two school children.
Sunday Punch learnt that preliminary police investigations which included several visits by under cover agents from Nigeria, reportedly implicated Tidjani which necessitated the extradition proceedings initiated by President Obasanjo against the transborder kingpin.
But the move was initially rebuffed by the Benin Republic government which led to the five days closure of the Nigerian borders.
The Inspector General of Police, who spoke to Sunday Punch on phone on Thursday, confirmed that a meeting had been scheduled between the two governments.
He, however, declined to give details noting that it was purely a security matter.
�Yes, it is true that the two countries will be meeting. The Inspector General of Police from Benin Republic will be coming to Nigeria where we shall be meeting to fashion out one or two things that will assist in the efforts to deal decisively with criminals.
�Yes, we shall also be deliberating on the establishment of the joint border patrol. But that is all I can tell you now. The outcome of such meetings would be made known at the appropriate time,� he said.
Sunday PUNCH November 21, 2004
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