The recent killing of ten Bank of Baroda robbers inside a hide-out in the Gaborone suburb of Phase II has divided the nation right down the middle. There are those who give a thumbs up to the police for a job well-done in inflicting maximum brute force on the robbers while there are those who like me who ask whether it was easier for the security agencies to kill than to arrest them. While it is perfectly understandable and appreciated that crime in general has hugely overwhelmed both the security agencies and members of the public, I believe arresting criminals whether they are armed or not is always the first option. Arresting criminals like the robbers in this case bear the huge benefit of thereafter getting more information from them about the extent of their networks here and elsewhere; who belongs to these networks and whether there are high profile individuals who could be at the top tier of the networks and such other relevant information security agencies could be looking for.
Let me say upfront that I am a member of the broader society who is prone like any other to be in the cross hairs of the perpetrators of crime whatever it could it be. In the terrifying situations the broader society finds itself starring at perpetrators of crime armed to the teeth with absolutely no regard to someone’s life, I strongly believe the perpetrators of crime must be dealt with ruthlessly by the security agencies. But like they would say, there will always be two sides of the same coin. I am via this conversation looking at that other side of the same coin.
Before I attempt to answer the question of this conversation, let me briefly put the fact as provided by the security agencies with respect to the Bank of Baroda incident. Almost immediately after the security forces killed the last of the 10 robbers with the security agencies reportedly suffering an injured member, Assistant Police Commissioner Dipheko Motube issued a press statement which said in part ‘….The robbers fled the scene and were later on followed and confronted by the police and an exchange of fire ensued, resulting in fatal injuries to some robbers. The police have arrested a 30 year old Motswana woman who was in the company of the robbers. Four pistols and an AK 47 assault rifle were found in their possession and an undisclosed amount of cash was recovered from the robbers….’ What is publicly known to the killing of the 10 robbers is that they were killed inside their hide-out whereat the security agencies had completely surrounded it. This should inevitably suggest the security agencies were in full control of the situation with very little chance of one or all the robbers escaping. The status of the 30 year old Motswana woman arrested at the scene keeps on changing at every turn. If one goes with the conspiracy theory that she was indeed planted to extract and deliver information on the robbery to the security agencies, it stands to reason the security agencies would have had a fairer understanding of the robbers in terms of whether they were at some stage or not belonged to any of the agencies here or elsewhere; their prowess in handling and the use of the weapons they possessed in the actual commission of the robbery at the Main Mall and subsequently at the hide-out; the lay-out of the hide-out and so forth. This information I want to believe, would have greatly assisted the security agencies in determining whether it would have been far easier and safe to fish them out of the hide-out or eliminate them as soon as they came face to face with them.
From what one gathers, the security agencies were far too superior in terms of manpower, ammunition and other necessary resources and that given this superiority and the likelihood that the robbers did not put any significant fight back, it stands to reason it was fairly easy to capture and arrest the robbers. It would appear the robbers froze into the state of desperation and hopelessness as soon as they realised their lady ‘in crime’ had betrayed them and further that they was no remote chance of escaping since they were completely cornered. Is it not fair to suggest the robbers who were in possession of the listed and limited weapons relative to their numbers would have taken their own lives with them than to be captured or killed by the security agencies? Difficult to answer. My take on the view that it may have been easier to arrest than to kill is premised on the assumption that the security agencies are adequately trained to restrain or arrest perpetrators in this case the robbers in situations like these. Was it not possible for the security agencies to disorient the robbers in some way through the use of tear gas for example or some other way given they were located in an enclosed environment which on the face of it would have made disorientation easily achievable and successful?
Having made my case on why I hold the view that it was easy to arrest than to kill the Bank of Baroda robbers, it is important to examine why this was not done. Before doing so, it will be remembered that some heavily armed cash in heist robbers have successfully been arrested and are continually appearing in courts. These will be the G4S robbery at the Turn Right Mall in Mogoditshane where four suspects were apprehended and the Security Systems robbery in the reported P 5 million Kumakwane robbery where two suspects were also apprehended. These are commendable cases where security agencies could have easily shot and killed the suspects but chose to apprehend them. I concede however circumstances and situations are not the same in all robbery incidents.
In view of the indisputable fact that all sorts of crime including cash in transit heists have overwhelmed in significant ways both the security agencies and members of the public where public confidence in the ability of the agencies to decisively deal with crime quickly waning, the Minister of Defence, Justice and Security Hon Kagiso Mmusi is reported to have recently ordered the elimination of crime perpetrators with all that it takes to do so. In the literal interpretation of this order, the case of the Bank of Baroda incident strictly complies with the Minister’s order. It should be reasonable therefore, to conclude the elimination of the Bank of Baroda robbers was more to do with elimination more than anything else. This is in large measure contrary to the Mandate of Botswana Police Service as read with the Police Act which is to ‘To protect life and property, prevent and detect crime, repress internal disturbances, maintain security and public tranquillity, apprehend offenders, bring offenders to justice, duly enforce all written laws…..’ (My underlining for emphasis). It goes without saying that not all offenders will be apprehended in order to be brought to justice given the complex nature of crimes security agencies come across on a daily basis together with circumstances thereto. But I am afraid the case under discussion is not one of them. If the security agencies acted in consonance with the Minister’s order to eliminate the Bank of Baroda robbers, they were acting against both the Police Act and its Mandate in that conditions and circumstances at the robbers’ hideout do not suggest it was easier to kill than to arrest the robbers. And I hold this view because security agencies have not explained whether it was easier to kill than arrest the robbers.
When all is said and done, it is my considered view that it was easier to arrest than kill the Bank of Baroda robbers. I accept the situation security agencies found themselves in was a difficult and complex one. But they are adequately trained to deal with such situations where apprehending perpetrators becomes the first option. It may be an unfair judgement on the security agencies precisely because they have not brought the facts forward to explain why they opted to kill than to arrest. In the absence of such facts, I will be left with no option but to speculate and maybe pass an unfair judgement on them. I am not entirely convinced killing the robbers was the best option particularly that it appears there was no stiff and matching resistance vis-à-vis that of the security agencies in terms of manpower, ammunition and other relevant resources. I am prepared to be persuaded otherwise as always. Judge for Yourself!
‘No one is safe until everyone is safe’ from Covid-19 virus. Let us continue to adhere to all Covid-19 protocols.
