•NAF personnel who attacked EFCC offices over detained colleagues must be punished

The clash between some personnel of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and some operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the Kaduna State zonal command of the EFCC leaves a sour taste in the mouth. The NAF personnel had stormed the EFCC office to effect the release of their colleagues who had been arrested for allegedly attempting to forcefully release some internet fraud suspects under custody.

According to the EFCC, they had arrested five suspects at an eatery in the Barnawa area of the state, based on credible intelligence indicating alleged internet-related fraudulent activities there. Following the arrest, some NAF personnel and two students of Nigeria Air Institute of Technology, Kaduna, Kaduna State, who were at the venue during the arrest later stormed the Kaduna zonal command of the commission and attempted to forcibly release the suspects.

They were subdued and subsequently detained, necessitating an inter-agency dialogue that somewhat broke down. Some officers from NAF again stormed the Kaduna State Command of EFCC and attempted a commando-style attempt to free their colleagues from custody. Restraint from the EFCC side defused tension and the officers were released after they were profiled.

This incident is sad but not unusual in a country where there is a perennial abuse of any type of power. Some military and even para-military personnel over the years have been reported to have shown absolute disregard for discipline and respect for the rule of law in ways that have resulted to either inter-agency quarrels or even attacks against the civilian population, sometimes resulting in injuries, destruction of property or even deaths.

We condemn the unruly attitude of the NAF personnel and their disregard for due process and display of impunity. There are legal and constitutional avenues for expressing disapproval of actions from institutions and individuals. Use of force is not one of them. Again, soldiers are trained to uphold the highest forms of discipline and hierarchical respect of offices and institutions. How did the country descend to a level where individuals wearing uniforms bought with the tax payers desecrate their offices with unruly public display of total abuse of office?

There seems to be no other explanation other than the reign of impunity that often goes unpunished in the Nigerian society. There is an ‘above-the-law’ attitude of many officers in uniform, irrespective of their rank or status. The idea of military and para-military uniforms being seen as an armour against any kind of disciplined behaviour ought to stop. In most cases, the system does not wield the big stick against offenders, so, no deterrents are set. That is why we continue to have repeated cases of inter-agency public quarrels.

We have had a series of army vs. police, Navy vs. police, EFCC vs. DSS, LASTMA vs. police and all forms of indiscipline on the streets by military and para-military personnel.

Cyber-crimes are being tackled with serious government focus globally to protect individuals and institutions from criminals. We cannot understand how the NAF personnel tried to take laws into their hands by physically trying to confront the EFCC over a job that is exclusively the latter’s. The EFCC does not report to the NAF and as such they ought to respect their duties. If the NAF men have any complaints, they ought to channel same through the courts.

Cyber-crimes are a major contemporary crime that affects all countries and corporate institutions, including the military. Why would the NAF not allow the agency empowered by the constitution to do their job, especially when the arrested victims are not even their personnel? This is an obvious display of the impunity in the larger society where most people with institutional power arrogate certain privileges to themselves.

The optics and larger import are very bad in a world inter-connected with technology.

The actions of the NAF personnel are a clear case of the obstruction of justice which in its own is another crime that earns individuals prosecution. Institutions of state are supposed to be beacons to the citizens. Even when you feel aggrieved as an institution or individual by the actions of a government agency, physical confrontation is very wrong and illegal. Any complaints ought to be directed to the right government agency for the right adjudication processes. Storming the office of another government agency is a display of a warped sense of entitlement and show of force that rubbishes the rule of law. The NAF high command must address the issue comprehensively and warn their personnel to be more law abiding.

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