Insecurity: Kwara should show action, not only planning – Manzuma

Barrister Issa Manzuma had his first degree in law from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1992. He then attended the Nigeria Law School that same year and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1993. He had his Youth Service in Enugu State where he served in 1994. He however joined J.S Bamigboye & Co. in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital for his pupilage in 1994 and left his principal in 1997 to establish his own law firm, Issa Mazuma & Co. also in Ilorin. In this telephone interview with ACTING EDITOR, MUMINI ABDULKAREEM, the legal practitioner and former Ilorin branch NBA chairman speaks on the issue of incessant Kidnapping ravaging the state and country Excerpts:
There has been this debate on whether the government should continue to negotiate with kidnappers and possibly pay ransom or not after the abduction of school boys in Niger State. Where do you stand on this issue?
Kidnapping has become a serious security challenge to this country and I think as a county, we forget nothing and learn from nothing and so don’t prepare for anything. This is not the first time that government will pay ransom to kidnappers or Boko Haram and one would have thought that the flash points would have been identified by the federal government and beef up security in those areas. Kagara and other part of Niger state , kidnapping is posing a lot of security challenges to people in that area and one would have thought that a lot equipment would have been procured and provided for the security operatives in that area. But in any event, these boys are in the custody of the kidnapers and one of them was even shot dead at the point of kidnapping them These people under whose custody these children are can do anything and so whatever is done to get these students out of this captivity is welcome, the important thing is getting the students out of that place. And afterwards, necessary security arrangement should be made to secure the country. The constitution is not silent on the fact that the security and welfare of the citizens is that of our government at all levels and so whatever should be done to ensure the safety of these boys should be done by the government.
The security situation in Kwara State appears to be worsening after the recent influx of suspected kidnapers to the state following the herdsmen crisis in the southwest, what is your view on this?
Kwara State is in a strategic position bordering Oyo, Kogi, Ektiti and Niger states which are all dangerous areas because of the security challenges. For me, this is the time for the government not to unnecessarily emphasised planning, there should be more action. Security should be beef up and necessary arrangement should be provided for the operatives to work. Kwara needs to go into action instead of planning and contemplation. We should de-emphasised politics and move to the next stage which is putting those plans and thoughts into action for us to achieve results.