FL Gators:


@OnlyTruthMy culture. The only thing that gives me hope when I think about Nigeria.

Sadly everything is "quick money" nowadays. . . . across every culture. Even if we employ local police, the only thing that can change "quick money" is if we change our mindset and if the Govt starts doing its job. Sadly, the govt wont change light years from now. . .  so, basically. . .you know what I'm saying.
There's no doubt about this. Wasnt it just recently that a police weapon was found at the scene of a bank robbery?

The problem with Nigeria is that most things are upside down. Duties that should be executed at the local level of authority are hijacked by the federal government, example policing, education and power generation/distribution; while things that federal government should do like interstate roads (federal roads) have been abandoned by the federal government (at least in Igbo land), the state governors now repair and manage federal roads. Why don't we have local police forces and power generation and distribution?

Let me use my town Nnewi again as an example; I can assure you that if the town union decides to hire and equip just 200 policemen, there will be no kidnapper or armed robber in Nnewi, and we can afford it. Do you know the type of policemen a salary of N300,000 per month can recruit? It will fetch the best. The whole thing will cost N720 million annually. This is not up to 50% of the amount paid to kidnappers every year in that town. I know for sure that if you task my town to raise funds for such a task, you will not get less than N10 billion. I know my town.

Every town in Igboland will be ready to pay into such police fund in return for real peace and safety. We are a very busy and enterprising people. Therefore the toll of this kidnapping thing in Igbo land runs into tens, if not hundreds, of billions of Naira.

That is why I believe that the Nigerian police is our number one problem. Remove them and we would provide our own police.

Onlytruth:

The problem with Nigeria is that most things are upside down. Duties that should be executed at the local level of authority are hijacked by the federal government, example policing, education and power generation/distribution; while things that federal government should do like interstate roads (federal roads) have been abandoned by the federal government (at least in Igbo land), the state governors now repair and manage federal roads. Why don't we have local police forces and power generation and distribution?

Let me use my town Nnewi again as an example; I can assure you that if the town union decides to hire and equip just 200 policemen, there will be no kidnapper or armed robber in Nnewi, and we can afford it. Do you know the type of policemen a salary of N300,000 per month can recruit? It will fetch the best. The whole thing will cost N720 million annually. This is not up to 50% of the amount paid to kidnappers every year in that town. I know for sure that if you task my town to raise funds for such a task, you will not get less than N10 billion. I know my town.

Every town in Igboland will be ready to pay into such police fund in return for real peace and safety. We are a very busy and enterprising people. Therefore the toll of this kidnapping thing in Igbo land runs into tens, if not hundreds, of billions of Naira.

That is why I believe that the Nigerian police is our number one problem. Remove them and we would provide our own police.

Wow, such believe, such optimism. Now thatz what I'm talking about.

Anywaz, am not totally certain how Nigeria works, so I cannot accurately make a judgment on what you just said. But it does make sense.

I'm going to sit back, and hope for the best. . . . thatz all I can really do now.

FL Gators:

Wow, such believe, such optimism. Now thatz what I'm talking about.

Anywaz, am not totally certain how Nigeria works, so I cannot accurately make a judgment on what you just said. But it does make sense.

I'm going to sit back, and hope for the best. . . . thatz all I can really do now.

It's okay to sit back and watch from a safe distance.

I am more interested in seeking solutions to my problems.

I cannot sleep if my enemies are burning the midnight oil.

Therefore I charge every Igbo son to first think about a REAL SOLUTION to our problems rather than echoing opinions of our enemies.
Before jumping into the blame "the Igbo love of money" bandwagon, sit down first, recall where we have come from and all the challenges we've had to overcome on our way. Then, look with pride at our achievements in Nigeria despite all these odds.
All we need is to remind ourselves and be proud as always, laughing our enemies to scorn!

Aha, well excuseeeee me.

Do you think if I could, I wouldnt. Dude, you have the resources and connections (?).

Am still in my babysteps. When I get there, I'd surely do sth. Dont judge me, please.

I f you dont mind me asking; Are you part of the MASSOB group? How are you helping? [sincere questions]

Onlytruth:

Therefore I  charge every Igbo son to first think about a REAL SOLUTION to our problems rather than echoing opinions of our enemies.
Before jumping into the blame "the Igbo love of money" bandwagon, sit down first, recall where we have come from and all the challenges we've had to overcome on our way. Then, look with pride at our achievements in Nigeria despite all these odds.
All we need is to remind ourselves and be proud as always, laughing our enemies to scorn!

Amen, everybody has enemies nowadays

I'm learning, I'm getting there. Why do you think I'm in Politic section?

To sit and enjoy the insults being hurled at me? aha

FL Gators:

Aha, well excuseeeee me.

Do you think if I could, I wouldnt. Dude, you have the resources and connections (?).

Am still in my babysteps. When I get there, I'd surely do sth. Dont judge me, please.

I f you dont mind me asking; Are you part of the MASSOB group? How are you helping? [sincere questions]

Amen, everybody has enemies nowadays

NO, I cannot be a MASSOB. I appreciate their wishes for Igboland but I have personal reasons why I would not be a MASSOB member.

There are other Igbo groups that are also interested in defending the dignity of Igboland.

And the other question?

FL Gators:

And the other question?

Do you honestly expect me to answer that?

Chineke me!

Is sth wrong with the question?

FL Gators:

Is sth wrong with the question?

Can you ask the question again.

Nvm.

@poster : there is War all over Nigeria and not just In Igboland, I am from Delta state and the Igbos here dont indulge in such acts, NEvertheless I think BAKASSI BOYS SHOULD BE RECOMISSIONED

OnlyTruth,

I have read your input here. I do not agree with you completely. There is a reason why BAKASSI failed and I think the remedy lies more in following the legality of a Constitution keenly. Think of your State as a smaller Nigeria. Think of 36 sub-States within (officially call them L.G.A.s). Do you begin to see the problem? 200policemen paid that much might work for Nnewi ALONE. 500 paid that much might work for Onitsha North, but that is AT THE BEGINNING.
Midway, we learn who makes top-level appointments and why. Midway, a politician scores points because he makes the discovery that what qualifies for top-level appointment can be found in his own backyard as well. Midway, we discover that security contracts ought to go to each "big" family in the L.G.A. Midway, loyalties change and ideologies begin to differ. HOW HAVE WE SHOWN WE CAN STICK TO AN AGREEMENT AT SUCH TIMES? {This, in my view, ought to be hammered out before State Policing is allowed.}
At the end, the question is, "What manner of checks and balances can be used to make sure State Policing does not go overboard?"

The genesis of armed crime in Nigeria, especially in Igbo land stems from the victorious Nigerian state, mainly the way they handled the end of the civil war. I have stated this before that, a day to the official announcement of the civil war has ended, my commanding officer (Ephraim Iyang Henshaw)  in the Biafra army told us the troops that the war will officially end first thing the next morning and we asked him what happens to our weapons and his response was that he has no idea and that we can do whatever we think we can with the ammunitions.
I personally buried my gun, uniforms and bullets there in Obudu and started hundred of mile walk home, but I can still remember that Nigerian troops were executing our guys returning home from the front, so as a form of defence or protection, many Biafra soldiers took all their ammunitions home successfully and when many got home and find themselves penniless as a result of Awolowo/Gowon policy of frozen Biafra citizen bank accounts and given 20 Nigerian pounds only and with families that remained to fed, thousands of these guys made their way to many parts of Nigeria, especially to Lagos and Benin where they sold on the ammunitions for needed cash. That was the genesis of armed robbery in Nigeria. In fact, the first Nigerian notorious robber executed at the Lagos Bar Beach for robbery (Idowu Oyelusi) confessed that his group bought their weapons from former Biafra soldiers.
I can see the same scenario playing a big part in this kidnapping going on today, where former Niger Delta militants now has nothing anymore to do but still find themselves with heavy weaponry and most of these guys are of Igbo extraction based in Port Harcourt and they now see an easy way of making kind of money, they use to htrough bunkering and kidnapping oil workers as there are many money men in Igbo land outside politicians. So they don’t have to look hard to find a target. An average Igbo man can afford a ransom of a sort, as I am hearing that some now demand as little as 20K Naira for ransom.

You cannot continue refer a helpless governor as the chief security officer of a state when someone else controls the police and the police are not answerable to the governor or the local authority.
How can one single police force with a single budget policed almost two hundred million people?

Nigeria is too big to be one nation in a third world environment and that principle goes right down to the security issue too.
Each segment of the contraption called Nigeria has a different attitude and outlook to life. And those reasons influences the type of crime and its possible reduction or solution on each segment of that society.

What will be the concern of a Katsina born D.P.O posted into a local village in Abia state about the crime rate in Abia state? Absolutely nothing!

Those doing this robbery and kidnapping are not imaginary ghost, they are some ones brother, father, uncle and cousin. Therefore with a localised police force , it becomes easy to report crime or tackle the criminals directly by those related to the said criminal without fear, than when the police is a perceived foreigner and you reported a crime to him, only for him to go behind your back and tell the criminal and then watch as you both kills each other.

Then tomorrow the foreign police officer will move on to another part of Nigeria with no care in the world over what he has created and left behind, while a local police will have to live with it for the rest of his life among the same people he betrayed.

In the 80s crime was so much in Onitsha that by 6.00pm no soul is seen on the street, until Onitsha traders association led by Chief Benson Ohanugo defied the military govt and setup internal security for Onitsha and its environ. They gave every person of criminal background one month to leave Onitsha and Anambra or be dead. Before then a known robber called Otondo use to terrorise the town, every container cannot unload in Onitsha without his consent.
But O.M.A.TA people went after him first and as they approach his house he started shooting and a siege ensued, which lasted two days, as they set his house on fire after everyone was evacuated and Otondo was arrested and he was made to disappear forever( you know what I mean). Overnight, crime rate in Onitsha dropped by almost zero % as criminals fled or were killed, as every landlord has a duty to report a suspicious tenant that live beyond his means. Every landlord has to register his/her personal details and that of his/her tenants with O.M.A.T.A and that info will include your means of livelihood and your home town, village and kindred.
Without any power or recognition, the real MASSOB led by Uwazuruike has shown that our people can respond when organised by real leaders respected and recognised by the people. Give us Biafra sovereignty tomorrow and let us fight crime among ourselves and not by an I.G sitting pretty in Abuja.

Eziachi:

The genesis of armed crime in Nigeria, especially in Igbo land stems from the victorious Nigerian state, mainly the way they handled the end of the civil war. I have stated this before that, a day to the official announcement of the civil war has ended, my commanding officer (Ephraim Iyang Henshaw) in the Biafra army told us the troops that the war will officially end first thing the next morning and we asked him what happens to our weapons and his response was that he has no idea and that we can do whatever we think we can with the ammunitions.
I personally buried my gun, uniforms and bullets there in Obudu and started hundred of mile walk home, but I can still remember that Nigerian troops were executing our guys returning home from the front, so as a form of defence or protection, many Biafra soldiers took all their ammunitions home successfully and when many got home and find themselves penniless as a result of Awolowo/Gowon policy of frozen our bank account and given 20 Nigerian pounds and with families that remained to feed. Thousands of these guys made their way to many parts of Nigeria, especially to Lagos and Benin where they were sold on the ammunition for some money. That was the genesis of armed robbery in Nigeria. In fact, the first Nigerian notorious robber executed at the Lagos Nar Beach for robbery (Idowu Oyelusi) confessed that his group bought their weapons from former Biafra soldiers.
I can see the same scenario playing a big part in this kidnapping going on today, where former Niger Delta militant has nothing anymore to do anymore but still find themselves with heavy weaponry and most of these guys are of Igbo extraction based in Port Harcourt and they now see any way of making money as there are many money men in Igbo land outside politicians. So they don’t have to look hard to find a target. An average Igbo man can afford a ransom of a sort, as I am hearing that some now demand as little as 20K Naira for ransom.

Your analysis is flawed on several counts. For one, the civil war was a sad consequence of other events in our history. If we keep connecting one event to another, where do we stop? Secondly, both sides conscripted civilians into the armies during the war and as such, many civilians would have returned home after the war with weapons and not just Igbo civilians. If armed robbery was the only social vice in Nigeria and the guns predominantly used by robbers can be traced back to the war, then I may have agreed with you. But we know armed robbery is not the only vice in Nigeria, what event(s) do we owe fraud, corruption, prostitution, ritual killing, drug trafficking, etc to?

igbo boy:

@poster : there is War all over Nigeria and not just In Igboland, I am from Delta state and the Igbos here dont indulge in such acts, NEvertheless I think BAKASSI BOYS SHOULD BE RECOMISSIONED

I have said it before and I will say it again; Igbos are the architect of their woes - no single voice

The lost generation of Isreal

Katsumoto:

Your analysis is flawed on several counts. For one, the civil war was a sad consequence of other events in our history. If we keep connecting one event to another, where do we stop? Secondly, both sides conscripted civilians into the armies during the war and as such, many civilians would have returned home after the war with weapons and not just Igbo civilians. If armed robbery was the only social vice in Nigeria and the guns predominantly used by robbers can be traced back to the war, then I may have agreed with you. But we know armed robbery is not the only vice in Nigeria, what event(s) do we owe fraud, corruption, prostitution, ritual killing, drug trafficking, etc to?

You seem to be one of those that make argument for the sake of it without trying to read/digest what was written before responding. I am not talking about sad consequences of the war that ended in 1970, I was only drawing comparers between what happen then as regard to availability of guns that kick start of a crime unknown before then (armed robbery) and what is happening today with regards to kidnapping that was unknown in Igbo land before militancy started in the creeks of Niger Delta, where now the former militants turned kidnapping into business in Igbo land, just as former Biafra Soldiers sold their guns after the war or some even became robbers themselves.
You knew nothing about the war, so don’t bother saying something you don’t know. The regular Nigerian army fought for the Nigerian side, if they ever conscripted anyone into their force it will be like normal conscription into an army not just for the war and they will remain in the army after the war and will likely return their weapon or their weapon more accounted, while on the Biafra side 99% of their forces were normal people from students, teachers, civil servants. Traders, farmers to artisans, while the remaining one percent was in the army before and many of them were rejected by the Nigerian army after the war and their weapon are unaccounted for after the conflict
But this issue is not about all social vices like fraud, Prostitution etc  as you are hinting.  We are talking about specifics, armed crimes-“Robbery and kidnapping”. With others, at least you can avoid being a victim. Don’t argue for the sake of it.

Kennyblues:


I have said it before and I will say it again; Igbos are the architect of their woes - no single voice

The lost generation of Isreal

Rubbish!!
Tell me any people or group in the world that has a single voice and I will take you to a Siberia with a hot weather.
I don't think you can even claim a single voice inside your immediate family or how many husband/wife has a single voice?
What has a single voice got to do with crime?

Whatever, Igbo suck

Eziachi:

You seem to be one of those that make argument for the sake of it without trying to read/digest what was written before responding. I am not talking about sad consequences of the war that ended in 1970, I was only drawing comparers between what happen then as regard to availability of guns that kick start of a crime unknown before then (armed robbery) and what is happening today with regards to kidnapping that was unknown in Igbo land before militancy started in the creeks of Niger Delta, where now the former militants turned kidnapping into business in Igbo land, just as former Biafra Soldiers sold their guns after the war or some even became robbers themselves.
You knew nothing about the war, so don’t bother saying something you don’t know. The regular Nigerian army fought for the Nigerian side, if they ever conscripted anyone into their force it will be like normal conscription into an army not just for the war and they will remain in the army after the war and will likely return their weapon or their weapon more accounted, while on the Biafra side 99% of their forces were normal people from students, teachers, civil servants. Traders, farmers to artisans, while the remaining one percent was in the army before and many of them were rejected by the Nigerian army after the war and their weapon are unaccounted for after the conflict
But this issue is not about all social vices like fraud, Prostitution etc  as you are hinting.  We are talking about specifics, armed crimes-“Robbery and kidnapping”. With others, at least you can avoid being a victim. Don’t argue for the sake of it.

You put forward an argument and I responded to that argument. My response did not attack you as a person and I don't see the point in addressing me directly. Why not let your argument speak for itself? That I was not around during the civil war while you fought in it does not make your argument more credible. Are soldiers of conflict more knowledgeable than historians who study the conflict? The Nigerian army conscripted civilians into the army, particularly after the Biafran excursion to Ore. Your attempted putdown and condescending reply will not remove from the potency of my argument. If you think that your age gives you an advantage in debates on these forums, then this is not the place for you. You might as well go and have debates in your village square. Please learn to stop addressing people in a condescending manner otherwise be prepared for the replies which may appear insulting to you because of your age.

Fraud, ritual killing, drug trafficking, corrupt practices are not social vices but actual crimes. The point of my argument is that armed robbery, like the other crimes I mentioned, are issues bedevilling Nigeria and you can not trace them all to the civil war. These crimes are prevalent in our society because of the get rich quick mentality of Nigerians. You can anot isolate armed robbery on its own and relate it to the civil war while ignoring other crimes. You stated that the origins of armed robbery in Nigeria can be traced to the civil war and I merely disagreed because I believe that there are other reasons for the social malaise in Nigeria. Notice that I am making reference to the whole of Nigeria and not just Igboland.

Kennyblues:

Whatever, Igbo suck

Just as I thought, you crass comment is not based your ability to reason on the issue being disucussed, but just Igbo suck, Go to the juvenile section, it will suit you there.

Katsumoto:

You put forward an argument and I responded to that argument. My response did not attack you as a person and I don't see the point in addressing me directly. Why not let your argument speak for itself? That I was not around during the civil war while you fought in it does not make your argument more credible. Are soldiers of conflict more knowledgeable than historians who study the conflict? The Nigerian army conscripted civilians into the army, particularly after the Biafran excursion to Ore. Your attempted putdown and condescending reply will not remove from the potency of my argument. If you think that your age gives you an advantage in debates on these forums, then this is not the place for you. You might as well go and have debates in your village square. Please learn to stop addressing people in a condescending manner otherwise be prepared for the replies which may appear insulting to you because of your age.

Fraud, ritual killing, drug trafficking, corrupt practices are not social vices but actual crimes. The point of my argument is that armed robbery, like the other crimes I mentioned, are issues bedevilling Nigeria and you can not trace them all to the civil war. These crimes are prevalent in our society because of the get rich quick mentality of Nigerians. You can anot isolate armed robbery on its own and relate it to the civil war while ignoring other crimes. You stated that the origins of armed robbery in Nigeria can be traced to the civil war and I merely disagreed because I believe that there are other reasons for the social malaise in Nigeria. Notice that I am making reference to the whole of Nigeria and not just Igboland.

This discussion is not about fraud, prostitution and other vices but its specifically about violent crime of armed robbery and kidnapping, as I have said before I tried to draw a line between what a happened after the war when Biafra soldier left with their weapons and what happen after the militant were disbanded as regards to explosion in kidnapping rate in the East today.
Then you jumped in and told me that my argument is flawed, by telling me that Nigeria army conscripted civilian, which based on my first hand experience is not true and I told you that if ever that happened, those they conscripted will likely remain in the army or their weapons will be accounted for as they fought for an organised nation’s army, unlike the Biafra’s where 99% of their army are civilians that went back to their former lives after the war. That is not condescending, it is stating the fact based on firsthand experience, but if you see that way, you are entitled to it.
If you are telling me that there is no connection between the disbandment of militancy in the Niger Delta and the sudden explosion of kidnapping in Igbo land, then tell me what is behind it, as this crime is unknown in Igbo land even a year ago.

I really admire the way this FL Gators babe is drawing multiple paragraph replies from dudes here with her simple one liners.

Thats impressive, I'll say.

onye_ngbu:

I really admire the way this FL Gators babe is drawing multiple paragraph replies from dudes here with her simple one liners.

Thats impressive, I'll say.

Gators enjoys special concession from me, so don't lionize her unnecessarily. I wouldn't indulge just any other characters here.
She enjoys my soft side because idiots from her part of Nigeria castigate her because of her approach to issues.

Kennyblues:


I have said it before and I will say it again; Igbos are the architect of their woes - no single voice

The lost generation of Isreal

Every Igbo reading the bolded must from henceforth understand that that is the rallying war cry of our enemies.

There is this friend of mine from Abia state - a man who has done well for himself in life-  who tow this line anytime we engage in argument over Igbo affairs. The guy says that almost everywhere and I often marveled at how someone can be so dumb. In fact he is my final proof that being rich and being intelligent don't always run in the same direction.

The same guy will come to me to complain about how 15 of his containers were detained unnecessarily by a Yoruba or Hausa customs officer even while turning a blind eye to similar containers from other Nigerians. He would complain seriously about abuse and deprivation he suffers in the hands of other Nigerians.

Each time he complains, I look at him as if something is wrong with his brain.

How can you sow the wind and become baffled when you start ripping whirlwind?

There is power in spoken word and he lives his word.

The Igbo is the heart beat of Nigeria -FACT.

Remove Igbos from Nigeria, the place turns into a desert. 

Onlytruth:

Gators enjoys special concession from me, so don't lionize her unnecessarily. I wouldn't indulge just any other characters here.
She enjoys my soft side because idiots from her part of Nigeria castigate her because of her approach to issues.

Of course u'll love her cus she cant differentiate her aszz from her eyesz!

onye_ngbu:

I really admire the way this FL Gators babe is drawing multiple paragraph replies from dudes here with her simple one liners.

Thats impressive, I'll say.

Hey, Ezeuche! Uchenna shrek Ezeonyim, someones bout to bag your ho!!!

Katsumoto:

. [b]If you think that your age gives you an advantage in debates on these forums, then this is not the place for you. You might as well go and have debates in your village square. [/b]Please learn to stop addressing people in a condescending manner otherwise be prepared for the replies which may appear insulting to you because of your age.

Lol. hahahahaha. I just laughed out louder than a Macaw! I told him the same exact ish a while back! The old hag and his bitter life!

Katsumoto:

Notice that I am making reference to the whole of Nigeria and not just Igboland.

Dude, dont try to sugar-coat it. Tell it as u see it! We, the world over, know the penchant of the Ibo man and his love for money! The "anything for money" mentality rules these fools, so why are we trying diplomacy here? Do u see em being diplomatic when they kidnap kids, sell drugs or run up in folks houses with Mac-11's and Uzis?

Eziachi:


If you are telling me that there is no connection between the disbandment of militancy in the Niger Delta and the sudden explosion of kidnapping in Igbo land, then tell me what is behind it, as this crime is unknown in Igbo land even a year ago.

Wuteva, nigga! Just like narcortics was unknown to yall a few years ago. Now, go from Singapore to Malaysia and see how many of your Ibo brethrens are residing on death row!

Eziachi:

This discussion is not about fraud, prostitution and other vices but its specifically about violent crime of armed robbery and kidnapping, as I have said before I tried to draw a line between what a happened after the war when Biafra soldier left with their weapons and what happen after the militant were disbanded as regards to explosion in kidnapping rate in the East today.
Then you jumped in and told me that my argument is flawed, by telling me that Nigeria army conscripted civilian, which based on my first hand experience is not true and I told you that if ever that happened, those they conscripted will likely remain in the army or their weapons will be accounted for as they fought for an organised nation’s army, unlike the Biafra’s where 99% of their army are civilians that went back to their former lives after the war. That is not condescending, it is stating the fact based on firsthand experience, but if you see that way, you are entitled to it.
If you are telling me that there is no connection between the disbandment of militancy in the Niger Delta and the sudden explosion of kidnapping in Igbo land, then tell me what is behind it, as this crime is unknown in Igbo land even a year ago.

Normally, facts like these should be obvious to everyone, but some Nigerians are ever afraid of the name Biafra, and are willing to even fight the air rather than face any truth that in any way mentions Biafra.
Just allow the guy to believe whatever he wants.

My concern is what we should be doing to stop this. Are we doing those things?

Or are we letting our enemies define us?

I would say this again, GIVE US LOCAL POLICE.

Nigerian police is part of the problem.

Onlytruth:

Gators enjoys special concession from me, so don't lionize her unnecessarily. I wouldn't indulge just any other characters here.
She enjoys my soft side because idiots from her part of Nigeria castigate her because of her approach to issues.

awwwww. . . .