NATIONAL SECURITY AND HOODED GOONS 

 The use of masks by security personnel should be curtailed

The increasing use of face masks by security operatives poses a significant threat to public safety. The Anambra State Police Command noted last week that although certain security assignments may require tactical discretion, masking without authorisation erodes public trust, weakens accountability, and complicates inter-agency collaboration required between different security agencies. “The use of masks by operatives, particularly in non-operational or public-facing assignments such as VIP protection,” according to the State Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu “makes it difficult to verify legitimacy and could be exploited by criminal elements to perpetrate unlawful acts under the guise of security duties.” 

The hooded security personnel who escort Very Important Personalities (VIPs) around may be trying to shield their identities from criminals. But problem arises when criminals themselves opt for masks as they quite often do. Even more worrisome is that wearing mask is fast becoming part of the costume of security personnel in Nigeria. We therefore agree with Orutugu on the need to halt the trend of security operatives concealing their identities in their public engagements.

Since we live in a society where insecurity is pervasive, those who are responsible for dealing with the challenge should not evade accountability. Yet that is the new normal in Nigeria. From the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the State Security Service (SSS) and private security guard companies, most of their operatives now opt for masks in their encounters with the public. In a situation where both private guards, official security personnel and unidentified criminals opt to wear masks, a sea of devious anonymity is created.

For many members of the public, it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish friends from foes, and between protectors and perpetrators of crimes. Besides, security personnel can easily be enticed into violent attacks if they know that they will not be recognised. Indeed, over the years, such operatives, often referred to as “unidentified gunmen” or “unknown security agents,” have stormed residential homes or blocked public areas with impunity. Many of them have been repeatedly cited as using intimidation, arbitrary arrests, and excessive use of force, particularly during protests and at checkpoints.

 We are particularly concerned as we enter the season of political campaigns when politicians and other VIPs usually make rowdy and colourful public outings surrounded by all manner of “security” personnel, mostly thugs in disguise. There is therefore an urgent need to contain the menace of hooded guards throughout the country. Masks, like tinted car windows, can hide unlikely dangers disguised as legitimate security guards. The use of masks by unauthorised persons should be considered a criminal infraction with heavy penalties warranting instant arrest and prosecution.

As we have argued repeatedly on this page, no matter the extent of provocation, a person in uniform must not resort to taking the law into their own hands. But due to the anonymity created by wearing hoods, several instances abound when those who carry arms on behalf of the state have brutalised members of the public. To that extent, it has become imperative that the police regulate the use of masks and other forms of disguise for security personnel on legal assignments. Private security guards should also be barred from wearing masks.

 In a situation where these hooded persons also carry arms and given the widespread illegal arms in private hands, the indiscriminate use of masks by all manner of personnel further complicates an already bad situation. These criminal acts have also been drawing increasing attention to police officers who operate in civil dress (mufti). Some operate in plain clothes, jeans, or incomplete uniforms without visible name tags or ranks. They pose serious dangers to public safety and accountability. While plainclothes operations are in sync with intelligence gathering, their unregulated and widespread use—particularly at checkpoints—has led to abuse, confusion, and criminality. 

The Nigeria Police Act 2020 emphasises proper identification and uniform compliance to promote accountability, transparency, and the protection of citizens’ rights. This culture of security personnel hiding their identity simply to evade accountability is a travesty in a democracy. And it must stop!