New paramilitary force raises suspicion?

Controversy surrounds a paramilitary group that holds parade every morning at the Lagos end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, writes SAMUEL AWOYINFA

For Lagos residents who live or have their offices close to the old toll gate in the city, the presence of some young men and ladies, dressed in black T-shirts and black trousers, have become a familiar sight. Holding paramilitary parade almost on a daily basis has become a norm to them.

But who are these people? This is the question now bothering the minds of many people.

Some residents have described them as the Federal Road Maintenance Agency Task Force. But in a swift reaction to a news report, FERMA South West 2 Coordinator, Mr. Oladipo Fagbamila, said the agency has no link with the task force.

He said the agency had enough machinery to carry out its responsibilities without having any paramilitary appendage.

He had said in a statement, “It suffices to state in this disclaimer, for the avoidance of doubt, that FERMA did not engage and has not engaged anyone to contract business or businesses in the form of the activities of this so-called ‘FERMA Task Force,’ of which this disclaimer is hereby made.”

Fagbamila said FERMA had written the assistant inspector general of police, commissioner of police and Lagos State Governor on the matter.

Perhaps in reaction to the disclaimer, the strange paramilitary group has officially identified itself. When our correspondent visited its office on Monday evening, he saw a young man inscribing on the wall of the office what seems to clear the air. He wrote, “The Presidency’s Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment Programme. Federal Task Force’’.

Some members of the ruling party in the state have also expressed their apprehension on the presence of the ‘Federal Task Force.’  The interim Publicity Secretary, All Progressives Congress, Lagos State, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, in a statement made available to our correspondent on Monday, warned that any attempt to compromise the present security of lives and property being enjoyed by Lagosians will be met with stiff resistance by both the government and people of Lagos State.

He adds that neither the party nor Lagosians are fooled by the “antics” of those behind the training of youths in Lagos on the purported excuse of protecting the dilapidated federal roads in Lagos.

He calls on the National Assembly to track and act on what he describes as deliberate breach of law and the security of Nigerians before it is too late.

Governor Babatunde Fashola, is also concerned about the presence of this Federal Task Force.

He had asked in a recent interview, “What is going on? Where is the money for this particular exercise coming from? If they are recruiting, what is the purpose? If they want to police federal highways, what is now the role of the FRSC? Is it a task force such as contemplated within the law?

However, the Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party has cautioned the APC to refrain from being alarmist and causing unwarranted panic in the state, describing their action as ‘the struggling of a drowning man.’

In a statement on the matter,  made available to our correspondent by the Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, Mr. Taofik Gani, the party says Lagos APC is haunted by its own militarised politicking, arguing that “the engagement of the Kick Against Indiscipline, Lagos State Traffic Management Agency and the Neighbourhood Watch to oppress, coerce and victimise opposition targets in the state before and during elections is what has made LASG paranoid over non-issues.”

The coordinators of the programme have also rejected the tag of ‘ political thugs’. Two of the officials who spoke to our correspondent on Monday at their toll gate office, say the youths being recruited and given paramilitary training are beneficiaries of the President Goodluck Jonathan’s Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment Programme.

The officials, who note that they have closed officially for the day, explain that most of the beneficiaries are graduates and wonder how candidates with such qualifications would opt to be thugs and hoodlums.

One of them, who did not give his name,  explains, “I am a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police. How do you expect me to be involved in the training of hoodlums? Most of these people here are graduates. They are being recruited and trained under President Goodluck Jonathan’s Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment Programme.

“They are being trained as traffic officers to manage traffic on federal roads throughout the country. Some of our candidates who are lawyers have said they were going to sue the newspaper that refers to them as thugs and hoodlums. We have appealed to them to take it easy.”

They say the police authorities in the state are aware of their activities.

But the Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Command, Ms. Ngozi Braide, says she is not aware of any group recruiting and conducting paramilitary training in the state. “I am not aware of any Federal Task Force recruiting and giving youths paramilitary training in the state. But let me investigate and get back to you,” she says in a telephone interview with our correspondent.

Braide, however, did not respond to subsequent reminders sent to her telephone on the issue as of 8pm production time.

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Bamidele Aturu,  and the President, Campaign for Democracy, Mrs. Joe Okei-Odumakin,  frown at the formation of the ‘Federal Task Force’ without the backing of the law. They note that this may lead to a situation where every individual will begin to form militias and thugs for the 2015 elections.