A former Chief of Army Operations, Training and Plans, Major General Ishola Williams (retd.), says it is the job of the Army to “run after” insurgents but not bandits.
He said the job of confronting bandits was for the Mobile Police – the paramilitary arm of the Nigeria Police Force designated to take over operations of major crisis where conventional police units cannot cope.
Williams, who was Chairman of Transparency International in Nigeria, said it was wrong to use soldiers to wage war against banditry, noting that it could make the military lose focus.
“The military should focus on insurgency and leave MOPOL to do their job,” Sunday Punch quoted the retired general to have said.
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He advised the Federal Government to follow international standard by excising the mobile police force from the controversial police service.
“A commander should head MOPOL. This is what is done in other countries. The MOPOL should be independent of the IG and report only to the Minister of Internal Security.
“The President can make this happen. All he needs to do is to state that he wants to separate the paramilitary police from the police service. He will draft a bill and pass it to the National Assembly and once the latter passes it, that’s all,” Williams stated.