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In Nigeria today, life is increasingly becoming cheap and casual. It is rare for a day to pass without the blood of innocent Nigerians being spilled by hoodlums or in avoidable circumstances. In the media, the maxim is “if it bleeds, it leads”. It prescribes that any news item involving loss of life takes precedence over other stories. That summarises the importance attached to life. But in present-day Nigeria, it no longer leads when it bleeds, essentially because of the regularity of loss of citizens to careless deaths.
In sheer irony of sorts, we are experiencing a local version of Thomas Hobbes’s Hobbesian state of nature – a brutal and chaotic condition without government, characterised by war of every man against every man, where life is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short”. This is anarchy, in plain term. This can only explain why in the last few days, more then 80 Nigerians have been wasted by terrorists and scores abducted. These were recorded figures, if we may care to know. Many may have been killed unsung. It all commenced with the New Year attacks in which no fewer than 42 persons, including children, were killed and many abducted as bandits stormed communities in Niger State. The incident, which occurred in Agwara and Borgu local government areas of the state, came less than one month after over 300 pupils, students and staff of St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, were abducted in the same councils.
The dust of the Niger incident was yet to settle when the marauders struck in Kwara, Katsina and Kaduna, kidnapping several victims, including a photojournalist. Seven persons were abducted in Kwara following a failed attempt to kidnap the traditional ruler of Adanla community, in Ifelodun Local Government Area, Oba David Oyerinola, and his wife. The seven abductees are members of the same family. Those holding them were demanding for N300 million to release them.
Elsewhere, the terrorists struck at Unguwar Barau, Gidan Dan Mai-gizo, and Gidan Hazo communities, all located in Na’alma Ward in Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State. The latest assaults came after the Katsina mosque attack of August 19, 2025, in which the attackers opened fire on worshippers and killed at least 32 people at Unguwar Mantau community, Malumfashi LGA.
In Danhonu II community, Millenium City, in Chikun LGA of Kaduna State, a veteran photojournalist, Malam Umar Usman Iyale, was abducted by terrorists. This is the second time of the dastardly incident since the July 2024 abduction of two journalists from the same community — the current chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Kaduna State council, AbdulGafar Alabelewe, of The Nation newspaper, and AbdulRaheem Aodu of Blueprint newspaper, were kidnapped alongside members of their families.
Just last Tuesday, suspected armed herders invaded Udeku Maav-Ya community, Mbakyol Council Ward, Turan District of Kwande LGA of Benue State, and killed five farmers. The attack was said to have occurred while residents were harvesting yam on their farmlands. The same Tuesday, five personnel of National Park Service office at Oloka Village, in the Oriire Local Government Area, Oyo State, were killed by gunmen. Reports indicate that the assailants stormed the community at 11:30pm on Tuesday, January 6, and mowed the officers in their office. The situation is not different in other parts of the country.
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Sadly, not much is being done by the government and relevant agencies to protect the people from the marauders. The criminals are rather pampered to the point of the government often going into negotiations with them to release their victims. The constitution lists protection of the citizens and their property as the primary purpose of government. This is not the case here. It is a case of each for himself and God for all. Nigeria is about the only country where the government has literally outsourced its responsibilities to the people. This is a system where the citizens bear the entire brunt for their health needs, security of their households and environment, education of the children, provision of water and even construction of roads. At each point, the citizens are told to keep faith, without any succour from the leaders. But the aspect of the bandits and terrorists encircling the nation and subjecting the citizens to fear and trauma is one that must be attended to with the urgency it demands. For long, the authorities in Nigeria have allowed the kidnappers and bandits free rein to roam and take over. In the process, they dictate the pace, while the citizens tag along, living at their mercy and whims. Whether we admit it or not, the sovereignty of the nation is being seriously compromised.
The situation cannot be allowed to continue. It is only the government that should have monopoly of the instrument of violence, especially in ensuring law and order. Kidnappers, bandits, insurgents or whatever names they bear, are like soulless gods that cannot be appeased. They thrive on blackmail and demands on their victims and government to keep them momentarily at bay. Over time, the government has adopted various measures to appease the terrorists. It is clear that those overtures are not working. They rather embolden the outlaws to be more audacious in their actions and demands. There is need for change in strategies and tactics.
It is not enough for President Bola Tinubu to lament that, “These terrorists have tested the resolve of our country and its people. They must face the full consequences of their criminal actions. No matter who they are or what their intent is, they must be hunted down. In addition, those who aid, abet or enable them will also be brought to justice”.
The threat must be translated to action. Government must put in place proactive measures and more effective actions to contain the menace of the terrorists and dismantle their cells in and out of the country. Every action should be deployed, including enhanced intelligence-sharing among the security agencies in the country, to deal with the criminals that are making life hard for Nigerians.
Tinubu must lead this battle from the front. It is not enough for him to scurry out of the country and issue directives from comfort zone while Nigerians suffer death and harassment from faceless hounds. He needs to be on ground. That is the essence of being Commander-In-Chief. The office of the president is not a prize to be won but job to be done. He should rise beyond the trademark perfunctory disposition to his duties or subletting same to unelected officials and face the real challenge of governing the country. That was why he ran for the post and not for the fun and glamour of the office.
