From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
It was a moment of, “see something and say something,” when the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Mr Musa Yusuf Garba, held a security meeting with Christian leaders of the 23 local government areas of the state under the umbrella of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
Garba, who was posted to Kaduna State a few months ago, said visiting Christian and Islamic clerics respectively in the state was part of many strategies he has put in place to rid the state of crimes and criminalities.
He said in fighting crimes and criminalities, the support of clerics from the two major religions of Christianity and Islam cannot be overemphasised.
The police boss emphasised that in this era of high rate of insecurity in every community, it is a crime for every stakeholder to play the ostrich while criminals are operating and moving freely before their very eyes.
The meeting, which was convened at the instance of the police commissioner, was held at the Albarka Baptist Church in Barnawa area of Kaduna city.
He warned parents not to beg him if, for instance, their children are arrested for committing crimes, saying that such parents will be charged for aiding and abetting because they failed to caution the children while they were indulging in crimes.
Garba said it was not possible for a parent to claim ignorance of his or her child indulging in drug abuse or terrorism or any form of criminality.
The police boss was visibly furious when he told the gathering of the clergymen that any parent who knew that he or she has a child who is a criminal, such child should be locked up in his parents house, “until I leave Kaduna as commissioner of police. Otherwise if arrested I will prosecute him along with his parents and send them to jail for aiding and abetting.”
To this end, he charged every stakeholder in security issue to always remember the slogan, “see something, say something”, in the fight against criminalities.
He, however, expressed the determination to clean the state of kidnapping, banditry and other forms of criminalities, vowing that under his watch residents in the state will sleep with their two eyes closed.
Garba said: “Don’t say it is because he is my neighbour’s son, don’t say because he is from my church, or because he is my brother, you are not going to reveal him, you are not doing anything good to yourself and to your community. That is why I always mention in this kind of gathering that if you have a ward that is a criminal, find a place in your house and lock him up if you cannot talk to him to stop what he is doing.
“Please lock him. After I leave Kaduna you can release him if you like because if I get hold of him and you, as a parent, comes to me to beg on his behalf I will join you with him.
“Because at the time he was terrorising people you didn’t talk. It is now that we arrested him that you are coming to appeal on his behalf.
“It means, you are supporting what he is doing. This is aiding and abetting which is an offence itself. You must know law. If police want to catch you, they will catch you because if you escape one offence, you cannot escape another. So, I will join you and your son and say you are aiding and abetting a crime. The judge will listen to me and you will be prosecuted along with him.
“And that is why I am warning you that if you have any ward or son, tell him that there is a new commissioner of police in Kaduna, who is against what you are doing, so you better stop it now. If I get you I will prosecute you.
“Give police information about bad boys buying drugs in your communities. They are there, don’t hide them. Let’s forget our differences and fight for crime free and peaceful Kaduna State.
“The essence of my visit is to strengthen the relationship between the police and religious leaders because I discovered that if you want to catch them young as they normally say, you have to use strategy. If you want to get the attention of large people is when they are in religious centre.
“So, I visited mosques and I visited some churches. One thing with me is that whenever I am in the midst of religious people, be it any religion, I feel happy, and I feel safe because I am with the people of God. I feel comfortable because this is where you find people with sincerity and honesty because if you cannot get fact from the clergies, where again can you get it.
“So, I decided to go to churches and mosques, and by the time I am talking with a pastor with 3000 followers and congregation, it will affect the entire community there. How can I get access to the whole community like that except through the clerics because the followers respect them more than anybody else.
“If we say we have criminals, we have this, we have that, with possessive spirit to cut off person’s arms, kill fellow human beings, I don’t understand. I now discovered that it is when they are intoxicated, out of their senses that they think of killing another person. I directed all the DPOs to get rid of illicit drugs dealers and I told them that I don’t want to hear any complaint from anybody again. We are here to pass this message because we cannot do it alone”.
The police boss assured of their safety and to hide their identity whenever they give police useful and verifiable information. He said: “Don’t be afraid to give police or to me directly information that will help us arrest criminals. But make sure that you give correct information because if you give me false information, it is an offence. I will hold you for that. Don’t give me information that is against your enemy because you have issues with your enemy you now tell me lies. Every information must be verified and correct.
“I want to assure you that police in Kaduna are committed to protect lives and property which is one of our primary aims and objectives. We are committed to that irrespective of tribe and religion. The police are non partisans. I cannot imagine as a leader to be partisan and say this is my own and this one is not my own. You are only my own if you are doing the right thing. Even if you are my blood brother and you are not doing the right thing, you are not my own. I want to assure you that that is my own principle.
“I am here with a message of hope and message of peace to you, and may the peace of God be upon you all here. If there is anything disturbing peace in your community, lets us know. I know that there are bad boys walking around us in the communities. Sometimes you are afraid of speaking out, please, speak out out. If you see something, say something. Speak out and let us know and you will see what will happen. I am giving you that assurance. I have done my own part, the rest is now left to you. If you like give us information, if you don’t like conceal your information, but you should know your problem will persist; it will not end.”
Earlier, in his welcome address, the state chairman of CAN, Rev. Joseph Hayab, lamented about the number of pastors being kidnapped and killed by bandits in the past few years. He, however, expressed satisfaction with the meeting initiated by the CP, saying it would go a long way to restore the people’s confidence in constituted authourities.
Hayab said: “We have lost over 23 pastors to bandits in Kaduna in the last few years. The recent one was the killing of Rev. Jeremiah Wayo when he went to his farm in Kujama in Chikun local government area. He hails from Kano State and he was serving God in Kaduna when the bandits shot and killed him. He was buried recently. The unfortunate incident that happened in Fadan Kamantan also added to the number of God’s servants that bandits have killed in Kaduna State.
“Let me say this to you, commissioner, that over 200 churches have been shut down by bandits. The Baptist Church probably have over 100 of their churches shut down.
“From Birnin Gwari to Chikun and Kajuru, the churches are no longer there. If you go to many churches you see pastors that came from churches that have been shut down because they cannot continue.
One of my friends, Joshua, was kidnapped and tortured by bandits. Finally, he came back and ran back to his home in Katsina. He is not in any church today. That is the kind of situation we are facing in Kaduna State. We are forced to close down our churches because of insecurity in Kaduna State.
“About six weeks ago, the pastor of this church we are meeting, went to the nearby bank and on his way back to the church, he did not notice that people were following him behind. When the security guard opened the gate and the pastor entered, another car followed him.
“But out of fear, the suspected criminals tried to find their way back, but the security stopped them. They claimed to be military men. But in due course it was discovered that they were not military men. They were handed over to the police. But when police tortured them they confessed that they were kidnappers.
“One Pastor Ali Adamu was kidnapped but he did not know where they took him to probably he was blind folded or poisoned. He only realised that he found himself in one bush and the bush is in Kaduna, in Birnin Gwari area.
“He said he was asked to lead prayers for over 200 Christians who were still in captivity as at August 15, 2023. They collected his ATM card and warned him not to block it and that if dares block it they will trace him and kill him. So, bandits have been collecting his salary.
“We are just telling you the audacity criminals have in Kaduna and how they operate with impunity. So, sometimes we find it difficult to complain because the complaints are becoming too much.
“One of your predecessors called me for a meeting in his office and I went there with five of my members but he started intimidating us. But the PPRO advised him to carry us along because what the pastors know in this state, police don’t know.
“I am just giving you this background to thank you for initiating this meeting, and you have come to the church to meet with us. Probably, if we have been having this type of meeting we would have solved some problems. Because security as we know is everybody’s business. We will not be afraid to say what we see and if you do what we say, Kaduna State will change for the better.”
