These days, while the Federal Government prefers to distract itself with the excesses of illegality and lawlessness, grave breaches are happening all over the country in places where they used to frequent and in other places where they are breaking new ground.
While the federal government dances distractedly on the grave of democracy in Rivers State, residents of some parts of the Benue State are on the run from killers posing as bandits and herdsmen, who are so confident in their ways that they would strike at any time of the day.
Strike they did a few days ago when three people and two soldiers were killed in communities in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State. In the last few years, Benue State has had a torrid time at the hands of killers of all shades and stripes. Whether it is for their land or to settle ancient animosities, blood has flowed freely in Benue in the last few years at the hands of killers.
A few days ago, protests rocked Akure, the Ondo state capital. The protesters had a common complaint: Fulani herdsmen were overrunning their farms, with deadly consequences. Similar occurrences in Bayelsa and Enugu prompt the question whether or not Nigeria is witnessing a rampage from the past.
It appears that the honeymoon is over, and the knives have finally flown out. Close to two years since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu resumed office, the bodies are gradually piling up after a period of rest during which it appeared that the attacks had fizzled out.
Insecurity remains a major problem in Nigeria, a country which remains criminally insecure despite enormous resources to protect itself. Insecurity swiftly takes a devilish turn in rural areas where entire communities and families who depend on farming to earn a living must daily confront the many criminals who contest their land with them, often with deadly consequences.
While the killings mount in rural areas, what is the government doing? For successive governments, securing Nigeria has become almost an impossible task. There is always the elaborate talk about strategy and personnel, but that rural communities around the country remain criminally vulnerable to attacks is a pointer to the fact that tackling insecurity in the country hardly goes beyond long discourses.
Since everything done to tackle insecurity in the country has failed, it is time Nigeria altered her approach. It is time the country reviewed its security strategy. It is not enough that Abuja, the country’s capital, remains largely intact. If terrorists, many of them sponsored no doubt by influential Nigerians, continue to rip the country apart, then it cannot be that anywhere is safe.
Insecurity in Nigeria should be tackled headlong. It is not a problem that limits itself or one that is endemic to any part of the country. As long as any part of the country is insecure, the entire country is unsafe.
Since it has become beyond clear that whatever the authorities have done or refused to do is not working, it is time to change tactics.
There was a time Nigeria was secure. Nigerians deserve to return to such a time.
Ike Willie-Nwobu,
Ikewilly9@gmail.com
