President Tinubu, kill terrorism before it kills Nigeria

THERE is no doubt that the news of the rescue of 137 kidnapped students of I. E. A primary and junior secondary schools in Kuriga, Chikum Local Government Area of Kaduna State was cheering, mainly because too many innocent and peace- loving Nigerians have been killed or are currently under the criminal custody of terrorists across the country. The Kaduna abduction was simply one too many. Despite the cheering news of their rescue, Nigerians are alarmed that rather than abate, in the face of a massive military onslaught against the terrorists, their ( terrorists) activities appear to be gaining ground, thus putting a question mark on the government’s anti- terrorism strategy; as well as their claim that the military is winning the war. What Nigerians are seeing, on the contrary, is the escalation of terrorist attacks on hapless Nigerians, in a way to suggest that the criminals are waxing strong and able to compete well with the Nigerian Army. Certainly, therefore, while the military deserves appreciation for the gains they have recorded against terrorists, they must continually re- strategise to prevent the erosion of their gains, and also to bring terrorism to a close.

The Nigerian army rescued students and staff, who were abducted by gunmen from a school in Kaduna State earlier this month, the military said, days before the deadline for a ransom payment. School officials and residents had said 287 students were taken on March 7 in the town of Kuriga in Kaduna State. A military spokesperson said 137 hostages – 76 of them female and 61 male – were rescued in the early hours of Sunday in the neighbouring state of Zamfara.

“In the early hours of 24 March 2024, the military working with local authorities and government agencies across the country in a coordinated search and rescue operation rescued the hostages,” Major

General Edward Buba said in a statement. Kaduna Governor, Uba Sani, earlier put the number of kidnapped at over 200. Given the discrepancies in numbers reported, it was unclear if any hostages remained captured. Some Kuriga elders said Sani had told them all hostages had been freed. The rescue took place just days before a deadline to pay N1 billion ($ 690,000) ransom for their release.

Escalation of insecurity is a dangerous situation that is making Nigerians and friends of Nigeria apprehensive about the future of the country. It is becoming apparent that the menace is fast bringing down the nation despite the gallant efforts of security personnel, and hundreds of billions of naira that have been expended to tackle it for more than a decade now. Many Nigerians, who slept with their two eyes closed in their various communities in Plateau, Katsina, Kaduna, Benue and other places in the north since December last year never woke up as they were killed, while the government promised to investigate and fish out the perpetrators.

Even before the Kaduna incident, there was a similar sad story from Borno State where over 100 internally displaced women were kidnapped in Ngala, the headquarters of Ngala Local Government Area. The incident occurred on March 3, 2024, when the women left their internally displaced people’s camps in search of firewood in the bush around Jillam and Wurga villages, about 15 kilometres from the town. It was one of the major abductions that happened in Borno since the kidnap of about 276 students of the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok by terrorists on April 14, 2014. Many of the girls are yet to return from the captivity of their abductors, as hundreds of other abducted persons whose travails are yet to attract the attention of the government languish in the custody of terrorists. Amid these incidents, terrorists invaded an Islamic school in the Gada Local Government Area of Sokoto State in the early hours of March 9, 2024, and abducted 15 Almajiri students and a woman resident of the area. There is no indication yet that the victims have been rescued. There are too many other cases of terror, involving loss of lives and property, in virtually all parts of the country. Across the country, it has become a great risk to allow students to go to school, or for people to move from one place to another. Expectedly, highly placed government officials have condemned these tragic incidents, but the insecurity has continued to fester.

It is the constitutional responsibility of the government to ensure the security of life and property in Nigeria. Failure to do this is bringing down the country. Among the fears about the failure to protect life and property is the fact that families of victims of unprovoked attacks and unjust killing may be bottling up anger against the government and the society that could not protect their loved ones or rescue them from the captivity of terrorists and kidnappers. Yet, reprisals will often occasion the loss of innocent lives. Many political leaders today move about in bulletproof cars with security aides to protect themselves, but they may not be able to do the same thing for their siblings and all other relations. They must show adequate concern for the terrible security situation in the country.

For all efforts at federal and state levels to bring foreign investors to this country to succeed, there is a crucial need to ensure the security of life and property.

Foreign investors know the security situation in the country and would make investment decisions accordingly, taking into account the high level of insecurity in the country. Government must guarantee the safety of everyone in this country, if Nigerians are to be considered as serious people in need of progress.

The hardship and joblessness in the country should be sincerely tackled or mitigated before criminality becomes employment for the youth roaming the streets without jobs and are vulnerable to being recruited or attracted to evil groups now terrorising the nation. The military and police should do everything within their power to stop the escalation of insecurity. Rather than being constantly regaled with doubtful stories of the military claiming to neutralise or kill terrorists, Nigerians want to see the criminals prosecuted and punished for the crimes they have committed. Nigeria has wasted too much money that should have been spent on developing the country, on fighting terrorism, kidnapping and other criminalities. Allowing the menace to persist is very dangerous for the well- being of the people and the corporate existence of the country.