Nyanya blast: A call to safety
Just before I picked my pen to write a piece about the recent blast in Abuja, I was greeted with the news of about the 129 school girls abducted in a village in Borno state. It’s quite unfortunate that Nigeria’s current situation has got to a crescendo, where virtually all aspects of life need urgent attention. Nonetheless, the issue of insecurity is the most important as you can only seek employment, good roads, electricity and other basic amenities of life, if you are alive and well. In this vein, my heart goes out to all the victims of the insurgency and their families and I pray that God should bring an end to these inhuman activities.
Although an average Nigerian believes that activities of insurgents are restricted to the north east of the country, the reality is that virtually every part of the country is not safe. It is no more news that, north western states like Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina have not been spared of the maiming that has become the talk of the day in the nation. This is not forgetting the rampaging marauders in north central states like Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau states. This is a simple sign that insurgency is going viral and needs drastic action.
The latest development in the spate of attacks is most unexpected and unpredictable, because government appeared to have taken vital security measures around the Federal Capital Territory to avert any form of invasion. The explosion that rocked the densely populated Nyanya motor park left dozens dead and scores critically injured. A palpable level of frenzy, anxiety and hysteria enveloped the nation’s capital city as business activities were immediately brought to a halt. Fear of what would happen next and where, became the immediate issue of discourse among both private workers and public servants in Abuja. Bereaved families are still moaning as innocent, promising lives of loved ones have been cut short by terrorists. The rate at which innocent Nigerians die as a result of bomb blasts by alleged members of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, has become a source of concern to many Nigerians.
There is need for critical safety measures to be put in densely populated areas like markets, motor parks and other public places. Everybody should always remain alert and security conscious.