NUHU RIBÀDU: The Return Of Fearless Fighter

By Mike Odeh James

•Ribadu is round peg in round hole

• Tough times await sponsors of terrorism

The day was a very agonising one for the then Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun as he made his way to meet the President to answer for corruption allegations levelled against him by many police officers, allegations investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

After meeting with President Olusegun Obasanjo (former President ), the Police boss had no option but to tender his resignation from the force. Indeed, the weight of the investigation by the EFCC was so overwhelmingly convincing that left him in not doubt.
Not done,with his resignation, the EFCC went a step further by arresting and arraigning the police boss before a court of competent jurisdiction for corruption charges.

In the same vein, another minister, Sunday Afolabi, a classmate of former President Obasanjo was investigated and charged to court by the anti craft agency not minding the fact that Afolabi was a good friend of Obasanjo.

So were the fate of many public office holders who abused public trust and mismanaged the commonwealth of the nation .

Over night, Governors,Senators, Members of House of Representatives, ministers and commissioners became more accountable, financially prudent and less susceptible to corruption

Even the international community which had long held negative views about Nigeria’s image due to the adverse effects of corruption began to have positive thoughts about the country

Corruption in Nigeria had become an endemic malaise before former President Obasanjo introduce the EFCC and specifically chose an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Nuhu RIbadu to pilot the Commission

For a young man and middle level officer then, RIbadu was thoroughly meticulous with his brief and within a period of 12 months, he had distinguished the EFCC as the Premier corruption fighting body amongst other corruption fighting bodies which are replete In the country .

However, RIbadu would get into trouble later on after touching a powerful Governor who then was also a close ally of late President Umaru Yar Adua. It was also on record that the EFCC boss was listed on the bad book of the late President.

Prior to the nomination of Yar Adua as the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, RIbadu was said to have informed Obasanjo about the financial excesses of Yar Adua, who confronted the latter. Yar Adua who later became the President in 2007, never forgave RIbadu as he instigated the demotion of the anti Corruption Tzar and his removal as the chairman of the Commission .

Nearly fifteen years after his removal, retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, Nuhu Ribadu officially assumed office as Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, taking over from Maj-Gen Babagana Monguno (retd).

During a brief handing over ceremony held in Abuja last Monday, Ribadu expressed his determination to fulfilling the expectations of Nigerians and ensuring the safety and security of the country.

“We will stabilise this country, we will secure our country, and we will make Nigeria peaceful because we believe the time has come for this country to enjoy peace, restore order, and uphold the rule of law just like any other country in the world,” Ribadu stated upon assuming office.

Challenges Ahead For NSA

RIbadu has his brief cut out for him already apart from finding a lasting solution to the Boko Haram crisis which has plagued the North East for over 13 years, the retired intelligence officer would have ensure the total decimation of the the Islamist group while dealing with with its offshoot- Islamic Group In West African Province ( ISWAP)

Though much weakened, ISWAP and Boko Haram are still very much active in the North East with the constant harassment of farmers and fishermen along the lake chad basin and on the fringes of Cameroun,Nigeria borders .

The religious crisis cum herders farmers clashes in Middle Belts states like Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa and Southern Kaduna are serious issues that may mar or make the new NSA in his first few days in office.Already in the first 3,0 days of Tinubu’s administration, numbers of locals in Benue and Plateau states have been killed due to the farmer herders violence .

Another theatre of violence is the North Western states of Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara and parts of kebbi where the activities of bandits have become so intractable that even the service chiefs have been unable to counter to them .

Apart from kidnappings, the bandits are also involved in grabbing of lands, killing of locals, extortion of farmers and constituting a state within a state. They are heavily armed and can almost match the armed forces toe to toe. It is only a matter of time for these bandits to challenge the authority of the Federal Government if they are not tackled headlong .

In the Southeast the problem of unknown gunmen linked to the Biafran secessionist agitation is very much in the horizon This is going to be much tricky for the NSA as many politicians from the South East have demanded for the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu as a precondition for peace to return to the South East. How RIbadu would handle their request is a very tricky issue .

The region where the current President comes from is another conundrum- subtle agitation for independence by groups are also in the offing .Would these groups be pacified now that a Yoruba is in power or would RIbadu take a tough line of approach ?

Similarly, piracy off the coast of Nigeria, oil bunkering and illegal refineries in the South South region of Nigeria is a main headache for the incoming administration

Most nooks and crannies in the South South through which crude used for illegal refining travels have countless checkpoints points manned by soldiers, yet, the criminal activity continues.

As retired police officer, would senior Army, Naval and Airforce officers be subordinated to RIbadu considering the attitude of military officers in looking down on civilians. Furthermore, the immediate past NSA Babagana Munguno has had rough times with Chiefs who outrightly refused to defer to him as the Security Adviser. Apart from that, there are is the lack of cooperation between the branches of armed forces .

Round Peg In Round Hole

According to Babajide Otitoju, a renown journalist, Nuhu Ribadu’s stint with the EFCC and his training in Nigerian Institute For Policy Studies NIPSS Kuru had equipped him with all the wherewith to be the coordinating officer of Nigeria’s security forces . He further noted that as the EFCC boss, his sterling performances showed that he would do very well as the NSA.

The President of the Association of Retired Police Officers of Nigeria, Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Stephen Aiyewumi, (retd), said new National Security Adviser to the President is fit and qualified for the post. Ayewumi said Ribadu was worth the position without a military background, adding that his achievements as the former boss of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission were laudable.

“I think he is qualified to hold that position. It does not matter whether he has no military background. All know his great achievements when he was the head of the EFCC. His name became a household name. Why, because of his activities as the head of the organisation.”

Similarly, Onjewu Jacob, a public and military analyst, is of the opinion that RIbadu is a round Peg in the round hole .

“for me, we shall start seeing high profile Nigerians arrested in connection with Boko Haram, banditry and oil bunkering

“RIbadu would be so professional and nothing would escape the radar under him, he noted.