The recent attacks in Borno and Katsina states by Boko Haram insurgents and bandits, respectively, show that the war against insecurity needs new strategies to succeed. It is sad that despite President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s promise to frontally tackle insecurity, Nigerians are still grappling with the monster. The other day, the Boko Haram insurgents attacked and beheaded about 13 rice farmers in Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State. The victims, who hailed from Koshebe and Karkut villages were threshing grains on the farm when the insurgents attacked them.
Some farmers were also abducted during the raid. The victims of the attack had been buried in Zabamari, a farming community near Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. The Secretary of the Zabarmari Rice Farmers Association, Mohammed Haruna, who confirmed the attacks, said the terrorists stormed the villages on motorcycles and attacked the farmers who were harvesting crops from their rice fields. Many of the victims were beheaded. In 2020, not less than 100 rice farmers were reportedly killed by Boko Haram insurgents in Zabarmari.
Similarly, a deadly attack by bandits in Kusa town, Musawa Local Government Area of Katsina State led to the killing of 20 people and kidnapping of several others. The assailants attacked their victims during a religious ceremony in the area. Bandits had also invaded Allawa town in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, burnt down trucks and demobilised the security men in a military post before launching attacks in other areas of the council.
The Borno, Katsina and Niger incidents took place barely a week after 40 people were killed in Yobe State. The attackers, suspected to be Boko Haram insurgents, reportedly shot at villagers. The frequency of these attacks should worry the government and the heads of the security agencies. The precision of the attacks calls for a change of operational strategies on the part of troops engaged in the war against insecurity. The security agencies must embrace new approaches to the war against terrorists and bandits. They must be ahead of the insurgents and bandits in war tactics.
No doubt, many Nigerians have died on account of the rising insecurity across the country. According to reports, over 521 persons were killed in Nigeria by terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements between July 1 and October 6. In October, no fewer than 14 persons lost their lives in attacks by gunmen. In September, 71 persons were killed, 216 in August and 219 in July.
Nigeria’s insecurity has assumed a frightening dimension and there is no sign that the situation is going to abate soon. Thousands of Nigerians have died on account of the rising insecurity in the North East and North West zones of the country. A 2021 United Nations report disclosed that the insurgency in the North East had led to the death of 324,000 children under five, mostly from disease and hunger. It predicted that the casualty figure in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe might hit 1.1 million in 2030.
Within the same period, more than 1.8 million Nigerians were estimated to have been displaced in Adamawa, Yobe and Borno, with Borno mostly bearing the brunt. Many schools were reportedly forced to close as classrooms and equipment were destroyed.
The growing insecurity in the Northern states, especially in the area regarded as the food basket of the nation, will seriously affect the nation’s food security if the monster is not tackled forthwith. The situation cannot be allowed to continue like this. Some months ago, President Tinubu had ordered security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of insecurity and bring them to book.
He must ensure that the terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements operating in some states in the country are readily crushed. The recurring killings in Borno, Katsina and other parts of the country by terrorists and bandits must be stopped. The President must ensure that the security operatives are adequately trained and equipped for the war against terrorists and other criminals. Apparently, the troops need advanced training in intelligence gathering and sharing. Inter-agency collaboration should go a long way in taming the rising insecurity.
The federal government should also consider seriously the decentralization of the Nigeria Police Force to give room for state and local policing. The present centralized policing system cannot guarantee adequate security. The Nigeria police as presently constituted cannot protect over 200 million Nigerians and other nationals in our midst.