… Analysts Beam Focus On Pantami
The rising insecurity typified by abductions, kidnappings without major apprehension of pepertraitors may have put federal government’s communications and digital economy ministry under scrutiny.
Specifically, there are news making the rounds that some Kidnap victims allegedly explained how bandits had been thwarting the Federal Government’s security regulations in the telecommunications sector.
For instance, some residents of Katsina, Zamfara and Kaduna states allegedly recounted their experiences in kidnappers’ dens, and that they made the bandits’ telephone numbers available to security agents.
They, however, lamented that nothing was done to apprehend the hoodlums, thus making a mess of the Federal Government’s directives on registration of telephone subscribers and the linkage of SIM with the National Identification Number.
Under sections 19 and 20 of the Nigerian Communications Commission (Registration of Telephone Subscribers) Regulations, 2011, telecommunications firms are expected to register all subscribers.
In 2015, the NCC directed all telecommunications firms to deactivate unregistered or partly registered SIMs.
The regulation, according to government, is aimed at ensuring that all subscribers are traceable for security reasons.
To further strengthen security in the country, the NCC last year directed the linkage of SIMs with the NIN.
But victims, who spoke to The PUNCH, said with the way bandits were operating, the two regulations were of no use.
In Zamfara State, a kidnap victim, Mallam Yusha,u Jangeme, said security agents in his village, Jangeme, did nothing to trace the telephone calls of the bandits who kidnapped him.
The questions on the lips of most Nigerians are, “why are the security agents shying away from doing their job of tracing the telephone calls of the bandits despite the fact that operatives are allegedly aware of the situation; why is the superetending Minister, Isa Pantami maintaining deafening silence ; why is the federal government looking the other way despite obvious abdication of responsibilities by these organs responsible and accountable to it“?
In Southern Kaduna, which has suffered incessant attacks by bandits, residents said giving kidnappers’ phone numbers to the police had not been helpful.
The Southern Kaduna Peoples Union said the SIM registration spearheaded by the Federal Government had not assisted in curtailing insecurity in the country.
The SOKAPU’ Spokesperson, Luka Binniyat, told Punch correspondent in a chat on Monday that with or without the SIM registration, the insecurity was getting worse.
“What’s happening in the country where the bandits are still being tolerated by the government and why has the president become the ever chief mourner, is the government helpless and at the same time actionless. Who is actually in charge of the security of this country and who should be held responsible for billions of Naira allegedly being budgeted for security, “ asks Friday Ameh, Lagos based analyst.
Another stakeholder queries the achievements of the newly appointed Inspector General of Police since his appointment while abductions and kidnappings are on the increase,“? Only God will deliver this country, he said.
