Afolabi Aribigbola
T hat Nigeria is facing huge and widespread insecurity challenge is no longer news. What perhaps is novel in recent times is the frequency, magnitude and frightening dimensions of insecurity in the country especially in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory that is expected to be fortified like Jericho with its tall walls. Also, Abuja houses the headquarters of all security agencies in the country where security is supposed to be watertight, unassailable, and almost impregnable. Regrettably, terrorists came visiting Kuje Correctional Centre and successfully freed over 800 inmates including 64 members of the dreaded Boko Haram insurgents that the Nigerian military dissipated a lot of resources to arrest.
Worse still, these activities occurred without any form of resistance from the so called well trained and exposed security agents of the largest black nation in the world. It is equally saddening that over fifty Nigerians have spent over 100 days in captivity with terrorists without feasible efforts to rescue them since their abduction during attacks on Abuja Kaduna bound train. The recent news that families of the seven recently released abductees from the railway attack had to cough out 800 million to secure their release is not a palatable one anyway. What then becomes the faith of the remaining over 40 people that cannot raise such a humongous amount? To continue to suffer the hardship they have been exposed to since March 2022?
Prior to the Kuje prison attack, the Presidential convoy was attacked on their way to Daura, the hometown of President Muhammed Buhari. In addition to several kidnappings and killings, the country has recorded nine prison attacks since 2021 where dangerous and dare devil criminals were released to compound levels of insecurity in the country. All these are instilling more fears into the minds of Nigerians and several people have fled the country to other safer and saner climes. Many farmers cannot go to farms again because of fear of attacks from the killer herders and terrorists.
The above negative narratives and scenarios are not only worrisome but have assumed higher proportion and dimension that made some to conclude that human lives do not count again in this country. Many opined that if the society values the lives of her citizens, more proactive and preemptive measures would have been deplored to forestall incessant attacks from terrorists. Surprisingly, the President has only said he was disappointed without decisive actions and shake-up in the security architecture of the country. In other more serious societies that value people’s lives, more decisive and far-reaching actions would have been undertaken.
Also, no agency of government has taken responsibility for their flawed actions and inactions. Unfortunately, this criminal decimation of lives and nefarious activities are happening against the prescription of the two precious holy books that overwhelming population of Nigerians hold fast and subscribe to. The Holy Bible and Holy Koran not only detest taking of other people’s lives but essentially strongly forbid killing of persons. Yet, killings of innocent Nigerians continue unabated in the country. Even in societies that are not so religious like Nigeria, human lives are not wasted like it is happening in the country.
Indeed, these killings and attacks are occurring without drastic actions and reprisals from the government and her agencies charged with the responsibility of handling security. Is it a product of lethargy, tiredness or they are overwhelmed by the spate of attacks from these dangerous and unrepentant satanic agents of human destruction? Of course, how and when did Nigeria descend to a situation where it can no longer protect itself? This calls to question the role and ability of the government to discharge its most important function, which is to protect the citizenry and to ensure their welfare. The consequences of the inability and failure of government to protect and preserve the lives and property of her people is grave and very dangerous.
More worrisome to me and many other discerning Nigerians is the understanding or belief that the government appears not to be doing enough to stem the dangerous tide to stop and rescue those held in captive by these bad elements. How can one explain a situation where over sixty people being kept by terrorists without the security agents being able to deploy modern technology to determine their location and come up with practical means of rescuing them? Sixty is a big number that can be detected through satellite equipment. Perhaps there is sabotage or compromise in our security system, otherwise, it should not be this long or difficult to rescue them for over 100days.
Where are the intelligence gathering agents and secret police? If it is to harass or arrest innocent and armless Nigerians, they will be very visible and will exhibit their strength in curtailing “insecurity” One need to see them in actions when students are undertaking peaceful demonstrations but when it comes to dealing with criminals causing crisis and destruction of lives and properties, they will not be available or lack fuel or their weapons will suddenly become inferior to confront criminals. Is this how the country will continue to wallow in crisis without programmed action to put a stop to it?
Against the background of evil and detestable activities of criminal elements and criminality flourishing in the country, there have been different calls for action against it. One has been a call by the Minister of Defense for citizens to defend themselves and recently from the Governor of Zamfara state inviting the Commissioner of Police of the state to issue licences to citizens of the state to procure arms to defend themselves. These are clearly an admission of the state failure to discharge one of its most important functions of protecting her citizens.
Beyond the hue and cry, the Nigerian society must wake up from its slumber to act fast and decisively against the unwarranted killings in the country before the country becomes history. Therefore, there is the need to fortifyand strengthen the security agencies in the country by recruiting more quality personnel into them. This is based on the available records that the country lacks adequate personnel in these organizations especially the Police and the military.
Beyond numerical increase in these security agencies, there must be better training for them and merit must be allowed to drive activities and operation of these organisations. A situation where junior officers are favoured and promoted above their seniors because of region of origin and religion cannot ensure efficient and proactive security operations in the country. The security agencies should be allowed to carry out their assignment without political interference and manipulations as is currently the practice in the country.
The time to have state and local governments police is now. They are necessary because they will be closer to the people and understand their local terrain better than federal police. In addition, Nigerians must be involved in solving insecurity in the country by supporting the security agencies with information and other logistics to ensure their operational efficiency and commitment to ridding the Nigerian society of crimes and criminality. This is because no society functions well and flourishes amid serious insecurity as we are currently experiencing in Nigeria.
