Nigeria under siege

When terrorists kidnapped Rev. Fr. Bobbo Paschal in Kaduna, many people prayed for his safe return home. He is yet to regain his freedom as the demanded ransom of N5 million has not been paid. When some other bandits abducted 15 Lagos-Abuja bound passengers around the Kabba axis of Kogi State on November 9, 2025, their friends and relatives prayed for their survival. Two of them who became too weak to continue walking into the bush were reportedly killed on the spot. The rest paid N60 million ransom to regain their freedom.

When we had thought that the 25 schoolgirls kidnapped from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Danko/ Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State would soon regain freedom, another heart-rending abduction occurred in St. Mary’s Catholic school at Papiri community in Agwara LGA of Niger State. About 303 children and 12 teachers were taken away. Some of the children were as young as seven years. Nigerians have intensified their prayers because they believe it is the strongest weapon against terrorism and banditry.

Any discerning observer will be wondering what is going on. Why this increased rate of abductions? Who and who are behind them? Is it political, religious or pure criminality? And is there still a government in Nigeria?

There is no straightforward answer to the above questions. Those who see it from the prism of religion point to the frequent attacks on Christians and churches in the country. President Donald Trump of the United States is one of them. He claims there is genocide against Christians in Nigeria and designated it a Country of Particular Concern (CPC). His threat to attack the country to wipe out the terrorists attacking Christians generated a lot of controversies.

As if to lend credence to the genocide allegation, terrorists recently invaded a church in Kwara State. They abducted 38 worshippers and killed two people. They also demanded N100 million ransom per person.

A number of Christians have also been abducted and killed in the past. An Igbo trader, Gideon Akaluka, was one of them. He was beheaded in 1994 in Kano for alleged blasphemy. A student, Miss Deborah Yakubu, was another victim. Some Islamic fundamentalists stoned and burned her alive for alleged blasphemy against Islam in May 2022. The recent abduction of students in Niger state occurred in a Catholic mission school. Was it a deliberate action to spite Trump and confirm the Christian genocide story? Were the current attacks an attempt to undermine the government of President Bola Tinubu?

The answer is blowing in the wind. The spate of insecurity in Nigeria has a complex mix of religious, political and criminal hue. Usually when a major general election is around the corner, there is increased rate of kidnap incidents in the country.

The 276 Chibok schoolgirls were abducted in April 2014, a few months to the 2015 general election. The Dapchi schoolgirls kidnap incident occurred in February 2018, a few months to the 2019 general election. We have had many of such kidnap incidents.   

The religious angle is a bit complicated. Though almost all the terror groups profess Islam, they too kill Muslims. Boko Haram is against Western education. Its mission is to install Islamic caliphate in Nigeria. Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) is trying to outdo Boko Haram in the terror business. There is Lakurawa in Sokoto. A new group is planning seriously to infiltrate Nigeria from Mali. It is called Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM). The al-Qaida-linked group is the most brutal terrorist group in Mali.

Currently, this group, which wants to establish sharia and its brand of Islam in Mali, has crippled some other Sahel countries like Burkina Faso and Niger. Governments of these countries have no serious solution to its escapades. It is seriously threatening to enter Bamako, the Malian capital. Last October, the group staged an attack in Kwara State and killed a Nigerian soldier. If something serious is not done, it will entrench itself in the South-West of Nigeria.

The situation is pathetic. It becomes more worrisome when you consider the fact that a brigadier-general, Musa Uba, was captured and killed in Borno State. While Nigerians mourned, the terrorists celebrated it. The hope for solution is not in sight. Many Nigerians are secretly praying that the US should intervene. Not that our security agents are incapable; but there appears to be many fifth columnists in their midst. This explains why the ISWAP fighters easily ambushed Brigadier-General Uba and his troops and eventually killed them.

It is regrettable that the military withdrew troops from the Kebbi school despite prior credible intelligence by the state government. Soldiers were deployed to the school. But less than 45 minutes after they reportedly withdrew, the bandits struck. Governor Mohammed Idris described it as a clear case of sabotage because there was a decision to provide round-the-clock protection for the students. A special investigation panel set up by the state government is probing the matter.    

This same pattern happened in the case of the abduction of the 110 schoolgirls from the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State, on February 19, 2018. Soldiers were deployed to Dapchi following warnings that Boko Haram was planning to attack the school. But the Nigerian Army later withdrew its troops claiming that the area was relatively secure. Shortly after their withdrawal, the terrorists struck. Five of the girls died during the incident. A month later, they released 104 girls but refused to release Leah Sharibu simply because she refused to denounce Christianity.

Ironically, when insecurity was raging during Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, President Bola Tinubu was in the opposition then. He particularly mocked Jonathan and demanded his resignation. What difference has he made now that he is the President? What solution does he have?

Under him, the situation appears to have worsened. Between May 2023 when he took over power and April 2024, the National Bureau of Statistics estimates that 2.2 million Nigerians were kidnapped.

Tinubu’s immediate response to the abduction of 25 students in Kebbi and the tragic death of Brigadier-General Uba and other soldiers was to say he was depressed. He assured of the quick release and safe return of the kidnapped students as he sent Vice-President Kashim Shettima to visit the state to sympathise with the state government and the parents of the students.

Later, the Federal Government reportedly shut down 41 Unity schools across the country. Katsina, Kwara, Niger, Plateau, and Benue States have also closed down schools. But will this action solve the problem? And for how long will the schools remain shut?

We must beef up the intelligence arm of our security architecture. We can seek help from friendly countries that have gone through that route before. Nigeria should also share intelligence and engage in joint patrols with neighbouring countries facing similar challenges. If it means increasing the numerical strength of the armed forces as the Senate has suggested, the Federal Government should do it. The Senate suggested recruiting extra 100,000 soldiers. This should be looked into.

Besides, banks in Nigeria should flag suspicious transactions with a view to tracking ransom flows. This was what enabled countries like Colombia and Mexico to reduce incidents of kidnapping. Telecommunications companies can help to track the location of kidnappers.

On the part of the military, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant-General Waidi Shaibu, has directed troops to intensify efforts to secure the release of the abducted students. He also engaged local vigilantes and hunters to help in the rescue efforts. Knowing that the vigilantes know the terrain very well, the COAS urged them to collaborate with troops to locate and neutralize the terrorists. This has given credence to the strident calls by well meaning Nigerians to establish state police in the country. Why this has not been done is not certain yet.

It is not enough to grab power under the guise that it is your turn. You must have concrete strategies on how to tackle insecurity, to ensure the welfare of your citizens and to provide employment and other good things of life. That is what a government does. Any government that cannot do that has no business being in power.

Let’s take solace in the comforting words of the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, who ordered the Air Component Commanders of the Joint Taskforce, North-East, Operation Hadin Kai, to take the war to the terrorists’ domain. “We must stay on the offensive and keep taking the fight to the enemy from the air,” he said. He added that the Nigerian Air Force would fly smarter and strike harder. “We will find the terrorists; we will neutralize them,” he reassured.

Nigerians must rally round to defeat our common enemies irrespective of creed, ethnicity or religion. Our common patrimony is under threat. The government must lead the charge by motivating and equipping the armed forces. If terrorists can use drones and other sophisticated weapons, there is no reason our soldiers should not use more superior ammunition and technology to defeat them.

When government loses control of the instrument of violence, it loses legitimacy. The Tinubu government must regain control of our security now or throw in the towel.