Introduction
The state of the Nation seems terribly chaotic. We seem to be sliding into frightening recklessness and dictatorship. Unending stories and the ugly trend of abductions and kidnappings is unabated. Hopelessness, faithlessness and depression are sadly on the increase. We live in a world darkened by sin, evil, violence, injustice, hatred, war and death. We are in a terrible state of untidiness and neglect, filthy and dirty. Our people are experiencing the darkness of fear, frustration, sorrow, disappointment, gloom, bitterness and despair. How can we safely go to sleep with the lingering cases of insecurity and tales of abductions and kidnappings in our land?
Our Vulnerability and Painful Stories of Woes
Daily our people are abducted and killed by bandits. Perpetrators of this heinous crime go un apprehended and unpunished. Kidnappers not only capture people on the road, market places, farm lands, schools and offices but even in the comfort of their homes.
Nigerians have become so vulnerable – victims of abuse, trafficking, abduction, kidnapping, violence and brutalization among others. The Good Shepherd Major Seminary was invaded and attacked by bandits (gun men) Wednesday January 8, 2020 at about 10pm, with four Major Seminarians, Philosophy students captured in an operation that lasted less than half an hour, while three were eventually release, one was brutally murdered. Chinwe Faith Onyiwara, a poor Youth Corper serving in a village in Epe, on the outskirts of Lagos was captured November 29, 2019 and her abductors called the parents to pay the ransom of fifty million for her release. The unfortunate girl was kept in a swampy forest for seven days in a dehumanizing condition before she was rescued by a Police team from the Lagos State Police Command.
In Niger State, the District Head of Madaka, Alhaji Zakari Yau, his wife as well as the village head of Koki and five others were kidnapped by bandits. The strolled into the Communities and picked eight people. Security operatives were reported to have arrived hours after the bandits had disappeared. Dr Idris Abubakar, a lecturer with the Federal University, Dutsinma (FUDMA), Katsina Sate was abducted at his residence in Shagari Low Cost Housing Scheme in Kaduna State since August last year, and they have neither called for ransom nor disclosed any reason for his abduction. Similarly, Kidnappers walked into Engravers College, Kakau Daji, Chikun Local Government area of Kaduna State and captured six female students and two staff of the College who spent 23 days in the dungeons of the Kidnappers, but later released with huge ransom paid to secure their freedom. These are the stories in Nigeria. It continues unabated. Despite the efforts by the security operatives in carrying out air and land surveillance with the sole aim of tracking the bandits terrorizing our people. The abductors go scot free to enjoy their loot and booty without arrest or anyone apprehending and challenging them.
The story is same from Abia to Zamfara, Edo to Ondo, Cross River to Jos, Enugu to Borno States where terrible kidnappings and scandalous killings have been going on unchallenged and unrestrained by our security operatives.
Just recently there were massive killings on the Maiduguri-Damaturu highway when Boko Haram attacked innocent travelers who were stranded and torched over a dozen vehicles, including trucks conveying foodstuff and cement.
Some contributing factors
There is great crisis in the land and the times are really turbulent. For the past months now, we have had troubles. Indeed, we have had very disturbing brutal hostilities and scandalous killings. Just when you think that things are fairly calm and gradually stabilizing, along comes the violent eruption of fresh attacks, hostilities and brutalities, taking their toll massively on the human life, and spreading ill will and confusion around the nation.
Apparently, the threat to our national security remains crucial and critical. Barely a day passes without bloodshed, violence and bombing by extremists, anarchists and terrorists. The news agenda over the last couple of weeks had been dominated by senseless killings and serious terror plots and threats of abductions and kidnappings. Our hearts go in sympathy to the of hundreds of people, including innocent children, women and the elderly killed in the North East crisis, with thousands wounded, and so many others rendered homeless, and without food and shelter.
The contributing factors of Nigeria security challenge are numerous ranging from greed, indiscipline, crisis of identity, struggle for supremacy, unpatriotic attitudes, manipulative and dictatorial tendencies to the unholy desires for power, fame and money. These has left us totally disillusioned, tormented, confused and miserable. Anxiety, fear, worry, depression, tension, suspicion and mistrust are written upon the faces of our people. None of our institutions, whether traditional, religious, social, economic and political is exonerated from these problems. The terrible tendencies to demonization, criminalization, stigmatization, tribalization, politicization, militarization, weaponization, brutalization and victimization has kept us down and we seem to be everywhere crying out in desperation, what can we do to be saved?
The way forward
Today, there is an urgent need of a joint action among traditional, political and religious leaders of the world to speak with a united voice a message of hope, reconciliation and peace; and to solidify the universal campaign for human dignity, freedom, equity, solidarity and peace in the world. We must unite to stop these brutal killings of our brothers and sisters, and the scandalous destruction of property, by working together to eradicate violence from the hearts of our people, and striving to create environments of safety and peace. We must fight against all anti-democratic forces fanning embers of violence through hate and inflammatory speech. Although the times are really turbulent, fogs are not clearing and the dust not yet settled, there is hope. I am deeply convinced that whatever be the cause, the way forward and the great challenge before us is repentance. Now is the time to repent.
Conclusion
It is a pity that Nigeria has today become a jungle with ongoing massive invasion of most of the States in the Central North by terrorists and with all manners of criminality without apprehension by the security operatives. Victims lucky to survive and their families have to pay huge ransom to secure their freedom. The question is when will the security agents apprehend these killers and culprits to bring them to justice? With this serious security threats, we urge to Federal Government to reexamine our security architecture and apparatus and rise to its responsibility by taking decisive steps to provide and equip the police with modern communication network and restore the integrated radio satellite communication. This senseless killing of our innocent and defenseless citizens must stop now. Oh God arise and save Nigeria!
