 In another southeastern state, Inugu to be precise, gunmen once again attack a police station and kill officers. And an asylum from the United Kingdom might be given to some menders of the indigenous people of Yafra, but the federal government is not happy about it. Los politics starts now, I am Justin, at the door here. Welcome back now. Gunmen reportedly attacked the Devisita police headquarters, Adani in Uzo, Oani, local government area of Inugu state in the early hours of today. Two police officers on duty were killed and several others injured. The police station was also burned. In recent times, police stations in the southeast and some states in the south-south have been the target of gunmen. What is really going on in the southeastern part of Nigeria and why are police stations a target? Joining us to discuss this is Daniel Undukwe, the police public relations officer in the Inugu state command, and of course, retired Air Vice-Masho of Femi Badibor. We'll begin from Inugu state where we have the PPRO joining us, Mr Daniel Undukwe. Many thanks for joining us once again. From what we understand, the incident happened around the wee hours of today. Can you bring us up to speed as exactly what happened we need to know? Thank you so much. The incident happened, like you said, in the wee hours of this morning, exactly at about 2.30 a.m. When Adani police station, division headquarters in Ozuwan, a local government area, came under heavy attack by yet to be identified gunmen who, though they were very many resisted by the police who pretends on duty, but unfortunately, two of the policemen paid the ultimate price. They were critically hit by bullet and then taken to the hospital and where they were confirmed dead. And on receipt of the information, the commissioner of police, C.P. Mohamed Ndatswhally, UPSC, immediately galvanized heads of other sister security agency, including that of the DSS, the civil defense, and immediately, pasting in the morning as early as 6, everybody left conversion, left to that very station for under spot assessment. You realize that due to the numbers, because the hoodlum came in their numbers, in spite of the resistance that were put up, they succeeded in setting up, setting the police station ablaze. And then that was just exactly what happened. After beyond the spot assessment, the commissioner of police ordered the immediate deployment of the command and intelligence asset with the view to identifying and apprehending whoever these yet to be identified gunmen are and bring them to book appropriately. That is exactly what happened and that is exactly what we had brings. And this very moment can show that this very situation is garbled with. All right, so far from what you've told us, we hear that two police officers, you know, were killed, unfortunately, in the attack. But so far, you know, from previous attacks we've seen so far in the southeast that where formations were attacked, they also carted away with weapons. Was that also the case in Enogu state? That is, like I said, not just the deployment of that in proper investigation, both discreet and covert and overt will be conducted. And in the end, we would have also had a proper inventory of what may have happened. But as of this woman is all the loss of life that we have. But further investigation called unravel and so many other things. So what's the situation, the mood like right now in Enogu state, specifically the pause of residents? How are they responding to all of these attack? Eva, the police station where Enogu state is relatively calm. The police is always out there and we have been doing what we have to do. But it's unfortunate we had the situation we had. And like you rightly pointed out, it's been one of the real current things within the area the entire zone. But I strongly believe beyond just the police doing what they have to do, if you are the right thinking citizen, especially in the southeast, must begin to realize that this is not just an attack against the police. It's an attack against not just the people. Because attack is not owned by the policemen. It's owned by the society. The same police officers you attack like we had grisly murdered. They are no strangers. They are not coming from the moon. They are also members of the same society like you and like every other person. So if everybody think you need to sit down somewhere, fold your hand and allow a thing like this to continue to happen, you don't find reasons to volunteer credible information and intelligence to the police that will aid the police to fish out wherever the perpetrators of these things are, then you're not doing yourself any good. It calls for collectivity of responsibility. All hands got to be on death. Because being to realize that it's not just about the police, it's about the society, it's about you. We must come together and fight this one situation as a people. Alright, speaking of collective fight right now, would you say that the people of Anambra State that's resident are actually forthcoming in recent times of the situation of crime in that particular state? That's on the one hand, in Inugu State I'm sorry about that. Then again, on the other hand, another question is that since there has been several attacks on formations across the southeast, did your command see these coming? I didn't get that, sorry. Okay, I asked you one question, but let me just take it one at a time right now. This is not a forced attack in the southeast and of course South-South region in Nigeria. There have been several attacks, there was in Umiere there, there were several of course in Emo State. But then again, following all of these recent occurrences, did the police in Inugu State see it coming where there are proactive measures instead of being reactionary? There's never been a time where reactionary is always proactive and preventive measures that will be put in place. But that is not to mean it's foolproof. It's not going to be like 100% you don't expect it to be absolute. That's the more reason why yes, we've been getting the much necessary assistance from not abiding members of society, but I also think as much as we might have the iron intelligence apparatus that will go out there to gather credible evidence to avert the occurrence of situations like this. I think more than ever is at a time, everyone also be, you know, look at it like something that is not just against an organization, but against the people. Because the policemen, you think you attack and kill. The police station you think you probably raise or bond vehicle and the rest of that. You should also need to understand that it's not the policeman's money that was used to be the police station or the vehicles. And the policeman, you probably will end up naming or killing. It's not coming from the moon. It's just like you and like every other member of society. The very fact that he does the job every other person, so many other person may not easily want to do doesn't mean for whatever reason. You have any issue with any system or whatever you think is the police because we've looked at this. It's just been like you're occurring, you attack, you do this, you succeed in taking arms, you do, you just demolish and vandalize. Is that the best for anybody? So the whole thing comes down to the fact that as much as on our parts, we're not going to give up on our part. We're not going to stop doing what we have to do. But we also think we need all hands at this material moment to be on deck because an attack on the police by extension is an attack on the people and the society at large. All right. On the final, just a quick one. Any leads, any suspect so far? Like I said, full scale investigation has been launched like the CP directed that both the operational and intelligence asset of the command be deployed immediately and has been done. It's INS believe that God willing, and with the cooperation of members of society will show which begin to make some inroads because like we pointed out, it was a gondro and some persons, even part of the wood lumps that carried out the attack, some of them sustained bullet injuries. And the CP has called on not just the law abiding citizen of the state, but owners of medical facilities. Should you come across anybody who's got bullet wound injury? Don't hesitate to report to the police. These are ways we can together begin to handle this thing together. And by God's grace, we'll gravel it to an end. All right. Thank you so much. Indeed, we get to expect, you know, fallout and of course investigations on that particular incident. And like you said, God willing, the hoodlums and the perpetrators of the attack would be brought to your book. Thanks once again. We have been speaking with Daniel Ndukwe, the police public relations officer in charge of Inugu state command. All right. We also have joining us this evening. Retired Air Vice Marshal Femi Badebo. Good evening to you, Avia. Many thanks for joining us and plus politics. Indeed, you have been aware and if you have been following the news, there have been recent attacks on security formations across the southeast and south south. On the surface, what exactly do you make of this recent development? I think it's, you know, there's a problem. It started with IPOV and the government agencies have not been able to contain IPOV. They've been training, they've armed their people and they continue to carry out acts of vandalism in that area. But also there is, if you notice in the southeast particularly, there is a very large number of unemployed young men, disgruntled young men, young men who have been used in the past by politicians to carry out acts of tullery and all in the process of elections. They've all been abandoned. They've been left to their devices. And so when a body like IPOV comes up, they're able to, they gladly move in there because not only are they being trained, they are being paid some stipends and they have been promised a change, a change that we'll see them through. And unfortunately, the way the police has been protecting and supporting the political elite who don't seem to be interested in investing in the upliftment of the rural area in the southeast has turned most of them against the police. It's not just about burning down police stations, but I think people are looking ahead to the next round of elections. Elections are coming up in any good state for instance, if you're in the other areas. And if you can get the police to weaken their presence, definitely the toves will be able to have better handling of what is going on there. But I'm disturbed that in spite of what is going on, the police are not beefing up their security. The number of police situations where you have a few men in the station at night can no longer hold. We have a problem in Nigeria where nobody is really ready to give us statistics. What is the strength of the police in this areas, in this police stations and so on? And how capable are they to withstand this kind of attacks that are coming on? When the police cannot contain situation, internal security laws require that the police must request for assistance from, let's say, the army. You can see the situation here now. The police station is attacked late in the night. Early in the morning, the commissioner of police calls all the paramilitary forces and they go there. To me, that's not really the situation. If you know that you are beginning to have problems, then you must begin to work out an arrangement where some of these people can come in there to help protect your police stations. Let me button here now AVM. This is really, really shocking as it were because it is not the full style since these attacks. Not so long ago, it happened in Emo State. There was a prison breaker. A formation was attacked. They cut it away with weapons. It has happened in Ebon State. It has happened in a number of states. One would have thought that the police would have been more pro-reactionary instead of going to visit formations after these incidents have happened. What have they failed to see? What are they not doing right? How come they take so much time before they can actually put their acts together? Well, I'm sorry there's a light out. I'm trying to get things started out. The truth is that we must not forget that there is a grand design, like I said, to weaken the police so that something more serious can happen. Under normal circumstances, when you have, even if it is just a small police station with a police post with five men there in some rural areas, that kind of ensures some level of security. People feel safe that the police is around. Now you are seeing even police posts that are up to the DPO level and above. Area commands being attacked by this men. What it's doing is to weaken the sense of confidence of the people in the area. It weakens the level of security. And if we are not careful, we're going to see a day very soon when a very large force of this intelligence will come in and do something more serious to a whole area. So it is very important that the Nigerian police take it serious. Nigerian government as a whole takes it serious. And if it means helping the police by securing the police, bringing in additional forces from either the military or the paramilitary to help secure these police stations, we must begin to do them immediately. Alright, let's talk more. In your opening salvo, you mentioned the IPOB, you talked about the ESN. Previous attacks at the police has linked them to some of these attacks. They have come out several times to say that that's the ESN, that they're not responsible for the attacks. Looking at it as a security expert and consortant, what would you say is the reason for this series of attacks? Would you say it's because of the no-love-loss relationship between the police and of course maybe residents or civilians as it were across Nigeria? You see, the police a long time ago came out with a slogan, the police is your threat. But even at a normal traffic junction, what you find is not friendliness, but a situation where the policemen are using their uniforms to harass the average citizen. So while the big man, quote-unquote, goes around with as many as six armed policemen, sometimes mobile policemen, probably not as mobile, the average man is being harassed by policemen on the streets. So there is anger, there is frustration. And mind you, it's not just police. We are getting to a situation, very disturbing situation now in Nigeria where every uniformed authority now sees that uniform as a tool to harass the common man, to collect a little more, a little extra money, no matter how small, to enhance their take-home pay. The authorities, the superior authorities continue to say they frown on these things and so on. But we are not seeing any serious action taken to dissuade this. I do not understand how an unemployed person applies for a job, gets a job of a uniformed organization in Nigeria, starting from police to any, even the local textbook. And then goes out on the street with that uniform and to just turn every position where he finds himself to a toll gate where he collects money. And the fact that he's carrying a gun makes him even more intimidating. So there is anger, the police must change their style. This slogan of being your friend, it must go beyond that. You go to a police station, you are required to pay for even documentation and everything that you're trying to make a case. I know many cases where people go to the police station to report a crime. And at the end of the day, they have to pay to drop the case because the requirements from the police to prosecute the crime is much more than even the losses that you came to complain about. So this is a serious problem and it must be addressed from the top down. Alright, let's talk about one thing that has come out in all of these. I was speaking offline now with some security experts, former CPs around the East. Something about ethnicity came up, I just want to get your opinion concerning that. He said that, one of them that he said that one of the reasons why such attack will foster in the South is because of most of the police officers there might not necessarily be easterners or be from that particular region. Does that hold water at all? Well, for effective policing, you need intelligence coming in from the people. And for the rural people, it means you must buy their confidence, you must speak their language, you must understand their traditions and so on. So if you bring in somebody to help the police, who does not understand all these things? And sometimes we even have situations and we must not run away from this fact. We have Nigerians from some parts of the country who tend to look down on people from other parts of the country. So if you bring someone from that area into, let's say, a state to help the police, you are already setting up for some kind of crisis. We see what's been happening with the clashes, if we may use that word, between the local people and headsmen and other people. And you find that sometimes the conventional police is actually from the same area, speaks the same dialect as these people who are creating these problems. So what do you expect when you go in the morning to complain at the police headquarters that people from certain parts of the north are creating problems with your local community? The response is, at best, going to be slow and at worst, we'll just not meet up to your requirements. Alright, so I think even the structure of the police needs to pick some too. Alright, let's try and proffer some possible solutions to all of these menace as we have now. Not too long ago, the Southeast Governors, they converged on over the E-most state capital and they declared the formation of regional security outfit able by Agu. In your opinion, is that what should be the main thing to be done right now? Do you see regional security as a way forward to curbing or stemming the issue of insecurity in the Southeast region? Well, anywhere in the world, regional security is a major factor. You'll recall that, in fact, the international community are no longer interested in sending troops to Africa, not Africa, East Africa, West Africa, whatever it is. They would rather have the countries within that area do all the dead work, maybe do supply funding and so on. So for regional security is a way forward. But the way we are going about it is more of, it's beginning to look like a publicity stunt. We could come out with a name, we make a lot of noise about it, but what structure have we put in place? There is a need to give out a clear statistics. What's your plan? How is this organization going to be structured? What number of men are going to be involved? From central headquarters to local headquarters, what is your plan and how do they intend to work? Until we come out with this clear arrangement of how they will work and interface with the Nigerian police. The Nigerian police will continue to frustrate the efforts and we will continue to see nothing on ground. And don't mind me, the fact that we may end up risking bringing in the wrong people into this regional security force if we don't get the right people, I'm talking about the uniformed organizations, military, police, whatever to help us structure, recruit and train these individuals without doing a proper... Now you're talking about 1,600 men that were released from the prisoners. If we don't do proper fact-checking, background-checking and so on, we could end up getting some of this people into this so-called security force. We train them, we arm them and then they become more of a problem to us than even what we were trying to cure. So these governors need to get the act together, come out with a clear structure and then begin to... Before they start talking about... Alright, thank you so much. Alright, thank you so much. Once again, we have been speaking with Femig Badebo, retired Air Vice Marshal and he has been giving us his thoughts and imputes on how we can stem the issue of insecurity in the south-eastern part of Nigeria. Once again, we do appreciate your time, sir. Thank you very much for having me. Alright, thank you for staying with us. We'll take a short break now. And when we return, the United Kingdom announces plans to give asylum to some members of the indigenous people of Biafra, Aipop and the Nigerian government is not happy about it. We'll be right back. Stay with us.