National Issues
Beyond Removing Adamawa Brigade Commander, Lagbaja Must Do The Needful -By Adewole Kehinde
For this to end in the tone of President Tinubu, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, must demonstrate responsibility and great character by visiting the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, visiting the family of the Inspector killed during the mutiny, and apologizing to Nigerians with the assurance that the mutiny will never happen again in any part of the country.
“Faced with what is right, to leave it undone shows a lack of courage.” – Confucius
I got a message on my WhatsApp during my participation at the Police Public Relations Officers Conference in the city of Uyo that “Army sacks Brigade Commander over Adamawa Police HQ invasion,” Guardian, December 13, 2023.
That is part of my prayer in my first article to condemn the mutiny carried out against the Nigeria Police in Adamawa State.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, should go beyond changing the Brigade Commander, but he must also visit the Inspector General of Police as well as the family of the deceased Inspector, as a courtesy demand.
Aside from replacing the former Commander, 23 Armour Brigade, Yola, Brig-Gen. Mohammed Gambo, over the midnight invasion of Adamawa Police Headquarters (HQ), where many army personnel and a police inspector lost their lives, should be court-martialed and handed over to the police for prosecution.
People like Brig-Gen. Mohammed Gambo shouldn’t remain in the Nigerian Army, as he will cause more havoc for the nation.
For him to have mobilized 12 trucks of heavily armed soldiers to invade the Adamawa Police headquarters last month portends a danger ahead if he is retained in the Nigerian Army. His act is that of pure mutiny, no doubt.
It is my happiness that on Monday while declaring open the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Annual General Conference 2023 in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu condemned the recent attack by soldiers on Adamawa State Police Command headquarters and warned the Nigerian Army to desist from carrying out retaliatory attacks on the police or any civilian population over any provocation.
I must commend the statement of President Tinubu, which is quoted here: “To you military leaders, you have a responsibility to demonstrate great character in uniform. Therefore, what happened in Adamawa State is unacceptable.”
“You have a point in the report, a point where you can ventilate your anger. Venting your anger against the police is not acceptable to any of us, the leaders. Please, let it end.”
For this to end in the tone of President Tinubu, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Abiodun Lagbaja, must demonstrate responsibility and great character by visiting the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, visiting the family of the Inspector killed during the mutiny, and apologizing to Nigerians with the assurance that the mutiny will never happen again in any part of the country.
I hope that Brig-Gen. Paul Zawaya, who incidentally hails from the Michika Local Council of Adamawa, will visit the Adamawa Police Headquarters to work in synergy with the police command.
Adewole Kehinde is the publisher of Swift Reporters and can be reached at 08166240846. E-mail: kennyadewole@gmail.com
