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The Federal Government should come out with effective strategies to decisively contain the deteriorating security situation across the country. The rising insecurity can explain why Nigerians are calling on the government to protect the life and property of the citizens. Some groups have also held protests against the upsurge in banditry and kidnapping. They also urged the government to take drastic measures to check the menace.
To arrest the situation, members of the National Assembly recently called for a review of the nation’s security architecture and reinvigorate the war against insurgency. The lawmakers lamented the spate of killings, kidnapping, banditry and insurgency in the country and called for urgent measures to restore normalcy in the North-East region, the epicenter of the Boko Haram insurgency.
There is no doubt that most Nigerians are in agreement that the nation’s security situation is getting worse on a daily basis. We align with them that the security situation in the country is in need of urgent attention. It is unfortunate that the country has recently witnessed unprecedented upsurge in killings, kidnapping and banditry, in Niger, Plateau, Adamawa, Zamfara, Kaduna and Katsina states. A few days ago, bandits reportedly shot a police helicopter carrying surveillance on the hideout of Ansaru terrorist group in Kaduna State, injuring the pilot.
President Muhammadu Buhari has also expressed surprise over the rising criminality in the North-East region and other parts of the country. According to him, “during our campaigns, we knew about the Boko Haram. What is coming now is surprising. It is not ethnicity or religion; rather, it is one evil plan against the country.” The president promised to deal with the situation. He noted that the primary duty of government is to ensure the security of life and property of the citizens. “If we don’t secure the country, we will not be able to manage the economy,” he said. The President has not been short of lofty promises to deal with the insurgents.
However, the government’s efforts to decimate the insurgents have not yielded the desired results. Perhaps the apparent inability of the government to check the rising insecurity might have led to the establishment of Operation Amotekun, the South-West security outfit and others. A coalition of northern group has also set up its own regional security outfit, Shege-ka-fasa. The South East is also tinkering with its own security arrangement. All these are measures probably being put in place to tackle the mounting security challenges.
They are indications that the war against the insurgents is not yet over. Therefore, there is urgent need for a comprehensive assessment of the situation in order to come up with adequate response. It is the wish of Nigerians that the insurgents should be defeated. But, the facts on ground show that the war against Boko Haram may have become more complex than the government had thought. It is possible that the government has underestimated the capacity of the enemy. Therefore, we urge the government to uncover the sponsors of the insurgents. We believe that knowing their sponsors will go a long way in defeating them.
Despite measures to rein in the insurgents, they are reportedly carrying out more deadly attacks. The war is gradually turning out to be one of the most frustrating national challenges Nigeria has ever confronted. It is taking a great toll on both Christians and Muslims. Therefore, government’s recent remark that about 90 per cent of the Boko Haram victims are Muslims is unnecessary.
Whether the insurgents are targeting Christians or Muslims, the fact remains that the victims are Nigerians, and must be protected by the government. During President Buhari’s campaigns for the presidency, he promised to end insurgency in a few months. But the war has progressed beyond that time frame. It appears the war is intractable. However, we still believe that the government can win the war with more commitment and sincerity of purpose. The government should do everything humanly possible to defeat the insurgents so that peace can return to the troubled North-East region.
