By Abdulganiyu Abdulrahman Akanbi
In today’s Nigeria, insecurity is the talk of the town. For a moment, the country is not free from the scourge of insecurity. While the whole world continues to battle with the novel Coronavirus, some Northern states are facing another endemic. In this part of the country, COVID-19 is real but incessant killings are of more concern to them at this critical period. Many lives had been lost to insecurity.
Northern Nigeria is in deep grief. Things are not going smooth in that part of the country. As other Nigerians wake, sleep and live in peace, the case of Northern Nigeria is in the contrary. Borno, Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kaduna, etc are epicenters of banditry, kidnapping and killing. These states are in serious security threats. The men of the underworld have launched countless attacks which claimed many lives in this region. Sadly, they’ve not stopped. The peaceful atmosphere this region was known for, since the day of inception, has been a story for the gods.
On this scourge, physical and online protests have been established and advocacy against the menace has also been recorded in the media. However, despite all the clamouring voices raised by concerned and heartfelt citizens, the problem of insecurity in the North hasn’t been solved. Prior to this, a huge number of military officers in the frontline tackling insecurity were reported to have willingly resigned over what can be called despondency.
Back to the history, the only sub-region that suffers from insecurity was North-East. After the general election in 2015, the country won undeniably against Boko Haram insurgency by reclaiming some local governments captured by the group. Factually, insecurity of different kinds have spread to the whole region. Respectively, North-West and North-Central regions have become centers of killings and insecurity too.
Sad to hear, this part of the country produced the first citizens of the country; President Muhammad Buhari. The president, in 2015, before the general election, vowed to bring insecurity down to its kneel and peace shall reign. Then, this agenda was among his topmost agendas and manifestos.
Apart from that, top officials in the administration are majorly Northerners. This is a big challenge to our leaders. This, in the sense that, almost all of our service chiefs are from the North. But, despite their great capacity and authority, we continue to hear series of information daily on massacre orchestrated by bandits, kidnappers, robbers and other insurgent groups. So disheartening! Rather than the killing to reduce, it is rather witnessing rapid rise.
Of recent, the killings in Southern Kaduna has gained more pity and concern from the heart of the citizens. In the attacks where people lost parents, children and siblings. Unfortunately, human beings were slained like animals. The whole country felt worried and pitied for the victims in this part of the country.
On insecurity, the National Assembly has called for the replacement of the service chiefs because of the ineptitude, failure and incompetence, on which the President turned down and went ahead commending their actions. Unarguably, the service chiefs have tried their bests and reached the pinnacle of survival. The space is now left for the Chief Commander of the Armed Forces to take charge and decide.
Despite the types of insecurity the citizens live with, the President went ahead to quench the flame of other country while his state is under serious ablaze. With this, it seems the president gives concern to international affairs than his own country. Constitutionally, the President is saddled with the responsibility of protect citizens’ lives and properties. Where is now the protection? Is this primary function in existence?
On this note, the citizens await the way-out and response of the president on insecurity. For the president to safeguard the lives and properties of the people — one of the purposes for which the president was voted in the year, 2015 and 2019 respectively — there is a need for absolute strided steps to take by the president to win against insecurity and bring peace back to the country.
Abdulganiyu Abdulrahman Akanbi writes from Ilorin, Kwara State. Email: [email protected]. Contact: 08063578823.
