Director General of the State Security Services [SSS], Afakriya Gadazama, warned on Thursday that the rate of kidnapping, armed robbery, sectarian clashes and endless importation of arms into the country pointed to one fact: That the 2011 general elections would be bloody.

Gadzama, who gave the warning at an interactive session with the House of Representatives Committees on National Security and Police Affairs, also noted that the way government ignores security reports would also worsens general insecurity in the country.

He told a worried House of Representatives before they went for a four-hour closed door meeting, that his agency had never failed to issue warning notices on impending troubles in all flash points, but regretted that not much was being done to avert such crisis.

Appearing together with the acting Inspector General of Police, Ogbonnaya Onovo, the SSS boss said information on kidnapping in Niger Delta, to armed robbery in South East, attack of Atlas Cove in Lagos, the Jos crisis and the latest violence in some parts of the northern region had been passed to the appropriate quarters.

He blamed the problems of insecurity in the country on the fallout of political system that disconnected the people from government and the porous borders.
Given the example of Anambra State, Gadzama said there was large influx of arms into the hands of thugs, which, according to him, gave rise to kidnapping and violent robbery.
The attitude of displaying wealth and government’s inability to carry the people along also contributed to the state of insecurity, not only in the South East, but in other parts of the country.

He warned that ending the crisis in the Niger Delta would not put an end to violence, as there was the need to strengthen all security agencies in areas of provision of working tools and improved service conditions.
The SSS boss pointed to the Jos mayhem, the attack of Atlas Cove as classical examples of slow reactions to curtail violence due to a disconnect between security agencies.

On the outbreak of violence ravaging the North, Gadzama said it was embarrassing because it was anticipated, while the management of information that was gathered was another thing.
The new IGP in his submission said the problems of the Nigeria Police were not strange to the House in areas of inadequate vehicles, shortage of personnel and outdated equipment to work with.
Not withstanding, he assured that police would still do their best to maintain law and order, while reminding the lawmakers of the need to increase funding for the police.

Chairman of Police Affairs Committee, Hon. Abdul Ningi. captured the mind of the House when he said all members were worried about the breakdown of law and order in most parts of the country.
After the appraisal of the state of insecurity by the security chiefs, the meeting went into a closed-door session that lasted over four hours.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2009/july/31/national-31-07-2009-03.htm