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05.03.2021 Opinion

Nigeria: The plight of unrelenting insecurity

By Alao Afeez Oluwatamilore
Nigeria: The plight of unrelenting insecurity
05.03.2021 LISTEN

In Nigeria, insecurity is taking a heavyweight on her rising security problems which its effect has been throbbing more rapidly than ever before particularly in the country's northeast where the bandits and terror group raid on several occasions. Nationally, a series of ruthless killing, communal clashes, banditry, kidnapping and herders clashes persist, spiralling out of control as everywhere seems unsafe.

These days, one of the biggest deterrent to Nigerian citizens is the dreadful random killings, coupled with the supposedly ungovernable nation. We are living in a space where unrest permeates the country with little or no political will on the part of the government to tackle the threat of the Boko Haram militant group and other growing insecurity problems.

Perhaps it is no secret that the true scale of insecureness has been revealed, ranging from the abduction of at least 276 schoolgirls from the Government Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State. Earlier in February 2018, Boko Haram kidnapped 110 school pupils in Dapchi, a Government Girls’ Science College in the northeast. In Kastina, over 300 male students were abducted at Government Science Secondary School, Kankara — the schoolboy were later freed after some negotiations.

Alarmingly, for two months consecutively, bandit attack and kidnapping have been on the rise — in the past months, there has been an increase in the number of banditry attack, killing and kidnapping of innocent citizens with no conscience. These days, schools within the northeast and north-western states have become potential targets for these purveyors of national unrest and insecurity. They have been a surge of repeated attacks on school children. Bandits and kidnappers continue to attack thousands of school pupil with little attention stabilising measures.

Elsewhere in the country, an increased number of herdsman unrelenting clashes is wildly affecting innocent civilians, wreaking constant havoc on the security and stability of Nigerian. Nigeria — as it stands, insecureness is lurking all over the country with the rise of lethal attacks deteriorating the significance of livelihood, — over time, local conflict, banditry and abduction have heavily stifled aptitude access to education, the realisation of sustainable potential and distinctly economy and national security.

However, impaired security in the northeast continues to orchestrate series of banditry and abduction of schoolchildren. Consequently, the issue of abduction will impede the security of citizens in the face of economic hardship alongside the deterioration of the educational system particularly in the northern states where the trend of abduction persist — minding the fact that these regions make the top two zones with the highest level of illiteracy in Nigeria; insurgency and terror attacks in the north-eastern part of the country has seriously wrecked the learning process of northern Nigeria.

The recurrence of these terror threats is undoubtedly compounding a myriad of challenges. The spate of insurgency and banditry in Nigeria northwest has so far disrupted farmers agro-production and smooth grazing on farmlands — perhaps,

absconding of school pupils and the massacre of farmers in the north would have ripple consequences on the security situation in the country.

Nevertheless, It is important to note that the issue bordering insecurity requires utmost concern beyond the good-for-nothing Sheikh Gumi banditry advocacy— the current administration seriously needs to wake up to there responsibility, protection of the freedom of movement — the idea of provision of security and safety of citizens. That apart, those entrusted with the duty of shielding the lives of citizen needs to rethink rather than knee jack security strategy. Otherwise, the threatening spirals of insecurity will morph into all shades of unprecedented terror attack.

Conclusively, the Buhari government needs to understand that the survival of One Nigeria and federalism spirit is at risk if the government fail to curb the tragedies of terrorism and other lawlessness in the country.

— Alao Afeez Oluwatamilore, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara state.

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