Rescuing victims of Niger State abduction

President Bola Tinubu has directed the military, police, Department of State Service (DSS) and other security and intelligence agencies to rescue the victims of the recent mass abduction in Niger State and other parts of the country. The President also vowed that those responsible for the abduction and the killing of innocent citizens would be brought to justice. He equally directed the Service Chiefs to provide him with regular briefings on the progress of the rescue operation until all those abducted are accounted for.

While assuring the families of the abducted victims that the Federal Government was committed to securing their safe return, Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s determination to confront terrorism and other forms of criminality threatening the safety of Nigerians.

The President’s tough stance came on the heels of the recent abduction of scores of worshippers in Kpenya Mosque in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State during Juma’at prayers. The attackers later raided the neighbouring villages of Dekara, Gidan Zana, Sabon Gida and Masaka. Reports indicated that more than 80 people were killed across the affected communities; while over 100 others were abducted and marched into forest. The Niger State governor, Umaru Bago, described the attack as a grave and unacceptable assault on the peace and security of the state.

The attack came barely three months after Boko Haram terrorists attacked Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State and abducted over 44 students. Similarly, two passengers were abducted by gunmen on the Bokkos–Barkin Ladi road in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State August 28. A week earlier, 24 people were killed after terrorists attacked the Bin-Per community in Mangu council of the state. Earlier in June, 20 people were killed in an attack on the Kawel community in Bokkos Local Government Area.

The Niger, Plateau and Borno incidents are pointers to the rising insecurity across the country. We decry the frequency of abductions in the country and call on the security agencies to rise to the occasion. The troops must take the war to the terrorists and ruthlessly decimate them. The President’s directive on the rescue of the victims is quite in order. Therefore, it must be taken seriously. Beyond rescuing the victims of recent abductions in Niger and Borno states, other Nigerians in captivity of the terrorists in other parts of the country should also be rescued.

We believe that this is the time the government should adopt a new strategy in dealing with the terrorists. The security agencies should be more proactive and nip some of these crimes in the bud. The troops should be ahead of the terrorists in terms of tactics and strategies. In all, the troops should be adequately equipped and remunerated. Doing so will enhance their morale. There is the need for enhanced intelligence gathering and sharing among the security agencies.

It is regrettable that kidnapping for ransom is increasingly evolving into a huge enterprise in many parts of the country. Amnesty overtures extended to the kidnappers and terrorists in the past have been ineffective. Like terrorists, kidnappers can hardly be appeased. Their primary agenda is to instill fear, spread insecurity and render victims vulnerable. They only yield to the language of force and superior fire power.

However, the marching orders by the president should be backed by commensurate actions. Going forward, government should overhaul the entire security architecture to ensure that protection of the country and the citizens. The border posts should be adequately manned and monitored to guard against infiltration by criminal elements. More security men and women are needed on ground to fight the menace of insecurity. The widening security breaches equally call for speeding up the institution of state police project. Above all, non-kinetic measures should also be explored in the fight against terrorism.

Let the government begin to address the triggers of insurgency, terrorism and kidnapping. These include poverty, illiteracy and unemployment. The military and other security agencies need to do more introspection and weed out the fifth columnists. We urge the government to ensure the security of all Nigerians as well as recue those still languishing in terrorists’ captivity.