Nigeria has been bleeding in the past several months. Scores of citizens have been killed by suspected armed herdsmen, bandits, Boko Haram and other terrorist groups in Benue, Plateau, Zamfara, Katsina, Borno and other states.
Many Nigerians have heaped the blame on the federal government and the country’s security forces, saying their failure to prevent attacks and halt the killings was nothing but failure on their parts.
In this report, some Nigerians gave suggestions and recommendations on how to address the security challenges, and end the killings.
State of emergency should be declared on security – Rev. Emmanuel Olorunmagba, cleric; Kaduna
The issue of terrorism in Nigeria is so pathetic, and it’s unfortunate that they invade communities, killing many people without any form of resistance and without any form of intervention from the security forces.
In a nation with military, police, DSS, Civil Defence etc, this tragic situation should be a serious concern that raises so many questions.
Why do the governors in the affected states appear to be totally handicapped? What are the service chiefs doing? The solution is for our security chiefs to be more proactive and see to it that proper measures are put in place to ensure rapid response when the alarm is raised about attacks on any community. It’s high time that a state of emergency was declared on security.
Government should license citizens to defend their communities – Luka Binniyat, ex-spokesman, MBF
The Middle Belt can no longer afford more mass graves from anti-civilisation forces – Boko Haram terrorists and armed Fulani killers, who are overrunning communities across the Middle Belt zone.
While we suspect that the renewed intensity of these attacks may be politically motivated, possibly fuelled by powerful interests ahead of the 2027 elections, we firmly believe that if the federal government has the political will, dismantling these groups is not beyond reach.
In the first place, the government must confront the truth and acknowledge the situation for what it is. It is a campaign of genocide, mass displacement, and territorial occupation by armed Fulani groups. It must end the misleading and offensive narrative of ‘herder-farmer clashes’ when entire communities in Benue, Plateau, Southern Kaduna, and other parts of the Middle Belt are being systematically attacked and wiped out with the renewed attacks.
The government should authorise the establishment of community-based watch groups – train, license and equip citizens to defend their communities.
FG should decentralise policing – Prince Fawaz Muhammad, Speaker, Edo Youth Parliament, Benin
I condemn in the strongest terms the ongoing and widespread killings and kidnappings in Edo, Benue, Plateau, Zamfara, Katsina, Borno, and indeed across the entire Southern Nigeria. No region is spared from this national tragedy. The bloodshed must stop. It is unacceptable that Nigerians are being slaughtered and kidnapped daily while the state appears overwhelmed, and security forces often respond too late or not at all.
To put an end to this carnage, the federal government must immediately overhaul the nation’s security framework, decentralise policing to empower states and communities, and ensure accountability within the ranks of the security agencies.
FG should improve its intelligence gathering – Cynthia Buluebiere Bright, activist; Benin
The government must improve on its intelligence gathering. To halt these killings, the government must prioritise and enhance its security measures, including, deploying adequate troops and resources to affected areas. Moreover, the government must improve its intelligence gathering and coordination among security agencies.
There should be steady aerial, land surveillance – Princewill Dike, lawyer; Port Harcourt
The major challenge is that our security operatives are faced with asymmetric warfare, as against the conventional warfare. But to tackle the security dysfunction, there should be a reconnaissance, steady aerial and land surveillance, active community policing, trained professional undercover agents/ informants and value re-orientation programme by the government and religious organisations, to mention but a few.
We need to get more sophisticated weapons – Jackson Ojo, security expert; Port Harcourt
In the case of what is happening in Plateau, Benue, Zamfara, Kebbi and Borno states, even as we just heard that there is a new terror group that is coming up in Kwara State. Our military and the paramilitary forces are doing great. But, they still need further help from the federal government, as the state governors are helpless in this matter. We must take care of the welfare of the men on ground already. So we need to get more sophisticated weapons.
FG should develop political will to fight the killers- Pius Eno, businessman; Calabar
There are reports of uncensored influx of foreigners into the country through our land borders. Immigration officials and security services should rise to the occasion to halt this ugly trend and prevent miscreants from gaining access into the country and getting recruited into the killer militias.
The federal government should develop the political will to fight insurgency, banditry, kidnapping for ransom and related heinous crimes. The military, police and other security agencies should be given clear instructions and the needed support to neutralise the killers by whatever guise and free the country from their stranglehold. Intelligence gathering and acting promptly on credible intelligence have proved invaluable over time and should be prioritised.
Security forces need reorientation- Theresa Afa, civil servant; Makurdi
The government needs to empower the security agencies to do their work of securing lives and property. They also need reorientation to change their attitude to work.
Secondly, everyone needs to take security as their business. We need to be watchful and provide intelligence to the authorities, but most importantly, there is need for trust building between the security force and the public because sometimes when you give information, instead of following the tip-off, the security agencies will turn and start harassing and exploiting you.
FG should confine herders to designated places- Celestine Kanu, agriculturist, Umuahia
Herders have daily turned this country into battlefields. In order to protect and provide for their cows, they go a long way in committing so many atrocities against their fellow beings, including maiming, reaping of women and killings.
To checkmate this, the federal government should enact a law that will confine herders to designated areas where they would not come in contact with farmlands.
We need special security outfits – Collins Nwagwu, public affairs analyst, Umuahia
It is quite disturbing that in the last two weeks many have been killed by suspected herdsmen and Boko Haram in some states in the Northern part of the country with security forces not doing much to curtail this spite of killings. This is affecting the country in virtually all aspects of life.
Special security outfits should be established by the three tiers of government, which should be supervised by federal agencies. Those who have been arrested over these killings should be prosecuted.
There should be reform of security agencies – Tife Owolabi, researcher; Yenagoa
The situation in Nigeria is dire, and it’s essential to address the root causes of these conflicts. Underdevelopment is the major cause of conflict. Government should deploy adequate security personnel to affected areas, ensuring prompt response to attacks, but government at sub-national must address poverty.
In addition to that, government should improve intelligence gathering and sharing among security agencies to anticipate and prevent attacks.
They should involve the locals and the locals should also act in honesty with government. There should be reform of security agencies to ensure accountability and professionalism.