By : Bola Sobola
The high rate of insecurity Nigerians were exposed to about decade ago or more was unprecedented. The situation grew worse with evidential lack of adequate protection from government. And in due course, large number of citizens were exposed to unabated attacks breeding fear, panic as they felt unprotected from the looming danger amongst others which come in form of killings, slaughtering and burning.
As things begin to go awry, Nigerians were wondering why there was no standing or subsisting measure from the Federal Government to checkmate the situation. The insecurity festered along the line turning into a state of anarchy where there was breakdown of law and order.
According to Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, insecurity means a state of not being safe or secured. In other words, it is a state of anarchy where there seems to be complete state of lawlessness without firm control of the state.
In the past, although Nigeria had battled insecurity saga even prior to her independence in 1960. And had encountered a civil war that broke out in 1969 due to a section of our nation seeking secession from Nigeria. Besides, the major threat of insecurity in the 70s, 80s and 90s were armed robbery, kidnapping, ritualism among other petty local crisis that were effectively tackled by the Police .
But today, what is before us as a nation has grew into hydra monster, with collateral damages to the unity of the nation.
The insecurity challenges has grew large involving religious gang group such as Boko Haram, as well as foreign Bandits from neighbouring countries of Niger, Chad and even Mali with dreaded attack from from Fulani armed men among other notorious groups like ISWAP.
The high level of killings brought about by these groups in the annals of Nigeria was said to be monumental.
Findings showed that since the pronounced killings by these armed group- known as Terrorist, Nigeria green white green colour had turned to reddish, splashed with innocent blood. A report from Duru and Osasanya publications in April 2019 recorded that over 456.831 of innocent lives were lost in 2020.
The amazing thing about these orchestrated - well financed and backed up attacks was that it took a new dimension from what Nigerians were used to such as, bombing of worship centres, recreational areas, schools, Police stations, train tracks like that of March 28th ,2022, in Katari, Kaduna amongst others with help of improvised explosive device ( IEDs).
While they go about killing innocent people with AK-47 assaulted rifles and destroy large acres of farm lands at will.
And in a situation where they were fed up of killing, they result to abduction of people for ramson, very popular among them were the abduction of Chibok girls among others across the major government schools with grave touch on road travelers in large numbers causing national grief and sorrow to mention a few.
The situation remain quite unabated, people are no longer safe at home and even in the farms as the criminal elements were allowed to operate undisturbed.
The global Right Atrocities Report in 2021 revealed that about 4,556 Nigerians were killed in 2020, particularly in the North -Eastern Nigeria.
Some experts in their conclusion said the current insecurity in the nation has religious colouration while some said it was combination of some factors which include, corruption, youth unemployment, bad government policy, high level of illiteracy, porous nature of Nigeria's border, poverty,
proliferation of arms, sectionalism, religious bigotry just to mention a few.
Since the period under review, insecurity in Nigeria has become a recurring phenomenon that has eaten deep into the socio-economic wellbeing of the people.
For example, the South - West of Nigeria is plagued with increasing rate of cyber crime, armed robbery, kidnapping, domestic crime, extra-judicial killings, herder- farmers crisis, ritual killings and banditry.
While the South- East and South South are riddled with oil bunkery, pipeline vandalism, kidnapping, separatist agenda, arsonism amongst others and this has seriously affected trades among others key economic activities for safety reasons.
Tribalism or nepotism should not be allowed by Government and the rumour of placing some certain tribal above the other should end else it might further demoralise unity of the nation.
Nigeria has been rated the 3rd worst country with insecurity in the world in 2020 by the Global Terrorism Index (GTI), behind Afghanistan and Iraq.These ratings have been of significant concern to security experts and the government.
Considering the afront of these gun men at the recent attacks at the Military University in Biu,Borno State as well as Nigerian Defence Academy,Kaduna last year, bandits have continue to gain access to our civic space attacking more strategic areas such as the Abuja-Kaduna train,Kuje prison in Abuja, the President advance team in Katsina,the Presidential Guard Brigade in Abuja and military checkpoint in Zuba, Abuja, not omitting the Owo incidence in Ondo State and the many others across the country.
There have been about 12 jailbreaks in the last five years with an estimate of 3,400 inmates let loose.All these attacks have come with severe casualties.
Insecurity in Nigeria is not a national problem as most people think but rather trans-national. Nigeria needs to look beyond its borders for insurgents,as well as one hauling its economic plan to totally eliminate this visible and invisible enemies.
The truth is that no country can overcome conflicts by the virtue of having its enemy within the population.
Already there are many citizens who have accused the security operatives of conniving with bandits and other criminals.They cited dereliction of duty by some security operatives.
Individuals need to be security conscious particularly during the festive period and even beyond. Citizen are advised to report any suspicious movement or gathering of some people to security operatives so as to nip the attack early in the bud before execution.
Although both the Federal and State government should be commended for mobilising and adopting whole-of- government approach which have all security actors such as; the military, police, immigration, customs and other Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government towards tackling the uprising of insecurity among other causative factors in the nation.
Even though some of these security apparatus were faulted by some experts as insufficient and poorly implemented to promptly address and thwart the spate of growing insecurity. ,.
In responding to the spate of national security and its related embarrassment, prompted the six geopolitical zones from South -East, South- South, South-West, North Central, North-East to adopt their specialised security outfit to boost the already overwhelmed efforts of nation's security operatives .
For example, South-West Security Summit was held on Tuesday, June 25th,2019, at Ibadan, comprising; Lagos,Ogun,Oyo, Ondo,Osun
and Ekiti which established a security outfit named "Amotekun".
The establishment of the outfit was part of a holistic approach put in place by South- Western States to protect their people by tackling terrorism and all forms of insecurity in the region.
As a matter of fact, the situation can not continue unabated for government and stakeholders to keep looking Irrespective of any failed measures they have deployed, they still need to keep on strategising as the nation seems to be under a serious threat.
An expert suggested that the raging insecurity challenges in nation can adequately be nipped in the bud if government can put in place stiffer counter terrorism measures, particularly in deploying modern military hard ware laced with technology that are effective enough to neutralise the advancing power of the terrorist.
To end the spate of insecurity in the nation, depends on sincerity of Federal Government's determination and political will which can practically start from dealing with "breeding corruption" and "sheer indiscipline" surging among the public servants as well as in all the security agencies .
Government can also tackle the reported act of diversion of money meant for particular procurement of certain military/ security equipment or project including the embezzlement of officers' allowances among other atrocities should be investigated and those found guilty be court martial or jailed to serve as deterrent.
The growing tribalism or nepotism should not be entertained by Government at all and the game of placing some certain tribal groups above the other in selected official appointment and recruitment into certain agencies should stop, this singular act has poisoned our nationalism and it will continue to destabilise the very foundation of the nation unity, breed distrust and ethnic hatred among various ethnic groups if it continues.
To have a secured nation, Government should use its statutory agencies to preach peace, one nation and weave the tore- up national clothing together as tapestry for the world to admire.
Federal Government should also publicly denounce all Islamist agenda threatening the nation. Taking this kind of nationalism bold will not only kill the surging insecurity, but also dowse any boiling agitative tensions among some ethnic groups praying for a "break away Nigeria".
A prosperous and peaceful nation is achievable, it is just a function of proactive and visionary leadership qualities. Even as 2023 general election is approaching.
Nigerians from all walks of life, should elect a leader who is transparent,sincere, a lover of masses and who is completely detribalised with intellectual acumen to successfully drive the nation into its acclaimed promised land.
Prince Dapo Abiodun -led administration has since inception left no stone unturned in its bid to ensure that life is as normal as it can be in the State, so that citizens and strangers alike can go about their normal business without fear.
Governor Abiodun as the State's Chief Security has used his position to pursue a myriad of policies and programmes to enhance security throughout its nooks and crannies.
We can easily recall the inauguration of a Security Trust Fund, which has facilitated the procurement and we of patrol vehicles and other gadgets to security operatives in Ogun, all with the view to bringing insecurity to the barest minimum.
Sobola writes from Ogun State Ministry of Information
E-mail address bolasobola065@gmail.com
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