Aluu Vincent
The shooting or attempt at the life of the former president of the United States and Presidential candidate of the Republican Party, Mr. Donald Trump, and the immediate arrest of the situation, has again showed that the US is global best in terms of security.
Footage from videos making the rounds reveal the proactive nature of the Secret Service in securing the life of POTUS and ginning down the culprit. Within few hours of its occurrence, the Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI has provided data of the culprit and all there is to know.
In the aftermath of the attempted assassination of former President Donald J. Trump, early reports have identified the alleged shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks. According to initial information, Crooks, a 20-year-old graduate of Bethel Park High School in Pennsylvania, was recognized at his commencement for academic excellence, including receiving the National Math & Science Initiative Star Award.
The New York Post reported Crooks as the suspect, sharing footage of him accepting his diploma in 2022. Social media profiles purportedly linked to Crooks show a young man with a relatively low-profile online presence. His private Instagram account lists an affiliation with anti-fascist ideology. Meanwhile, voter registration data supports the identity of Crooks as a registered Republican voter from Bethel Park. As investigators are ongoing, conspiracy theorists have gone to work with some pointing accusing fingers at the democrats while others view the assassination attempt as a hoax.
Did you notice any mass arrest of passersby or attendees of the rally? The prime suspect was the target and not those who volunteered information. Even the young man who gave a detailed account of what happened was not arrested or intimidated by the authorities. His parents or relatives were not called in for questioning said the case in Nigeria.
The swiftness of the intelligence agencies to nip this crisis in the bud can be attributed to a number of factors. These include well structured and planned security architecture, heavy surveillance, intelligence gathering and proactively combat ready personnel, deployment of technology-and of course patriotism.
From 1999 to date, there have been unresolved cases of assassination, some politically motivated while some are acts of criminality. More than two decades after, neither the police nor the Secret service have provided clues of those involved in these killings. Here are some of the unresolved high-profile killings
– Dele Giwa: Dele Giwa was murdered in 1986. He was a journalist and the editor-in-chief of Newswatch magazine.
– Pa Alfred Rewane: Pa Alfred Rewane was murdered on October 6, 1995. He was a businessman and a chieftain of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO).
– Chief Ajibola Ige: Chief Ajibola Ige was murdered in 2001. He was a lawyer and a politician who served as the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation.
– Marshall Harry: Marshall Harry was murdered in 2003. He was a politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives.
– Dipo Dina: Dipo Dina was murdered on January 25, 2010. He was a politician who served as a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
– Brig. Gen. Lasun Odeleke: Brig. Gen. Lasun Odeleke was murdered in 1990. He was a military officer who served as the Commander of the Brigade of Guards.
The list is endless. Boko haram, killer herdsmen, unknown gunmen and bandits are ravaging parts of the county almost unchallenged yet ring leaders are not rounded up to face charges. In most cases these criminals are arrested but released before you say jack due to connection. Recently, dare devil criminals broke into Kuje prison facility in the Nation’s capital Abuja and freed inmates. As I write, no one was arrested and even the prison officials on duty are yet to be questioned.
All these are attributed to porous security architecture plagued by several challenges, including, Inadequate funding, Poor equipment, lack of training/professionalism, Corruption, politicization of security issues and lack of political will on the part of leaders to take the right action. Inter security agency collaboration is near zero. Instead what you see is infighting between security agencies. Few weeks ago a fight broke out between Nigeria’s Secret Service and men of the correctional service over who keeps custody of a suspect, in this case, Godwin Emefiele, former Central Bank governor. Till date the DSS has refused to release Nnamdi Kanu to correctional service due to what is suspected to be a heavy cash out from
His case. It is alleged that each time Kanu comes to court, a whooping 500 million naira is expended.
From yesterday’s attempt on Trump’s life, it is not in doubt that the United States has a reputation for being a global leader in security and law enforcement. Its proactive approaches to curbing crime and criminality have yielded significant results, making it an exemplary model for other countries, including Nigeria. Some of the robust standard procedure or framework includes
I. Intelligence-Led Policing. The US has embraced intelligence-led policing, which involves using data analysis and intelligence gathering to drive policing decisions. This approach has enabled law enforcement agencies to identify and disrupt criminal networks, preventing crimes before they occur. Nigeria’s law enforcement agencies can adopt a similar approach by investing in data analysis and intelligence gathering capabilities.
II. Community-Oriented policing. This is a strategy that emphasizes building trust and partnerships between law enforcement and the communities they serve. This approach has been instrumental in reducing crime in US cities. Nigeria’s law enforcement agencies can learn from this approach by engaging more with local communities and building trust.
III. Advanced Technology. The US has leveraged advanced technology, such as forensic science and digital analysis, to investigate and solve crimes. Nigeria can invest in similar technologies to enhance its crime-fighting capabilities.
IV. Collaboration and Information Sharing. US law enforcement agencies collaborate and share information to combat transnational organized crime. Nigeria’s law enforcement agencies can adopt a similar approach by working closely with international partners.
V. There is also the robust procedure of social media monitoring and protective intelligence investigations.
In conclusion, the US security strategies have yielded significant results in curbing crime and criminality. Nigeria can learn valuable lessons from these approaches and adapt them to suit its unique security challenges. Addressing the porous security architecture and unresolved assassinations in Nigeria is crucial to enhancing the country’s crime-fighting efforts.
