By Ifeanyi Izeze
No matter how anybody wants to paint the picture, it can no longer be disputed that Nigeria now faces one of her worst periods of insecurity manifesting in violent extremism, rampant cases of kidnapping, cattle rustling, herder/ farmers violent conflicts and murderous campaign of bandits across Nigeria particularly in the Northwest.
Does anybody still doubt that the body language of this government is showing that either it is complicit in the spate of massacres in the Northwest and elsewhere across the country or has no iota of idea on what to do and how to do it and do it well? Meanwhile, President Mohammadu Buhari came with a three point agenda topmost of which was ensuring security of lives and properties across the country. How he has implemented this remains at best blurred and at worst obscured.
Adding to the absurd, the Nigerian Army now do more in gathering intelligence on politicians that want to scuttle the May 29th inauguration of Buhari’s second tenure than think of gathering intelligence on the various terrorists miscreants that have taken over the Northwest and the rest. So if a foreign country has cogent intelligence on any Nigerian politician trying to cause trouble in this country, is it the Army they would pass on such intelligence to announce to the public through press statements or the DSS, Police and/or NIA? Do we still need any convincing to know that something is happening in this government that the ordinary Nigerians are not paying attention to?
When the massacre by Fulani bandits was localized in Zamfara, it was described as fallout of the activities of illegal mining mafias pillaging the abundant heavy minerals: gold, diamond and maybe Uranium in the area.
The criminality gradually crept into Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi and now Katsina. So do we still believe the illegal mining mafia conspiracy theory by the government? If our leaders could only stop deceiving themselves by giving us these explanations that could best be described as stupid and call the spade what it really is, we will well on the road to genuine and effective solution to the problem.
Now Miyetti Allah has been clearly identified by top managers of our security agencies to be responsible for the spate of killings, massacre of scores of villages, kidnappings, rape etc in the Northwest and across the country but rather than carry out mass arrest of both their leaders and the foot soldiers, our government is talking of giving them over a hundred billion to pacify them while the group is insisting on N160 billion or nothing as widely reported. You see the country we call Nigeria?
The Buhari administration is on record as having paid billions in both Naira and Dollars to the terrorists/bandits in ransom and protection money over the last four years and what did it achieve? Only one thing and that’s grossly strengthening the marauders and assisted their mutiny and armed banditry against the Nigerian state. No wonder they are being emboldened more and more everyday.
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Who actually thinks for this government? Does it occur to the hollow heads manning our security agencies that the mere idea of proposing such “dole” has already created a problem for this country as several other groups will now spring up over night to visit our people with unprecedented mayhem that will attract and force this same government to also negotiate their own largees?
Hear the President of Miyetti Allah, Muhammad Kiruwa: “This is the first of its kind in the history of this country for a president of the country to direct his security aids to interact with an aggrieved party to air their views. This meeting will serve as a foundation for peace between the Fulani herdsmen and farmers, and amongst the Fulanis themselves.”
Without mincing words, the top command of the current national security team made up of mostly one ethnic affiliation same with the armed fulani herdsmen and bandits, have always made decisions that reflects their biasness and inclination to pamper and protect these armed bandits who ought to be dealt a heavy blow in line with the constitutional provisions. Why are the pythons not dancing and crocodiles not smiling in those areas of the Northwest?
Is it not clear that either the people at the top echelon of our security apparatuses may be behind this problem or they know what the rest of us don’t know? There is something the government people know that they are not telling us. How can we continue like this as a country of serious- minded people?
It will be an obvious tramadol trip in self deceit for anybody including the service chiefs and those politicians that run the government to continue to delude themselves that they are safer than the rest of the people. The Daura kidnap incident is a clear case at hand except it was staged managed.
Just look at: it started as a local banditry in Zamfara, gradually it crept to Sokoto, Kebbi and Kaduna up to the extent that even top military and government officials and their families can no longer go to their homes in the entire Northwest except by train to Kaduna. Is it when the criminals get to Abuja and the Presidential Villa that Buhari and his security Chiefs will know that there is a problem?
Kaduna especially the southern parts is terribly decimated as villages with its peoples are wiped -off almost on daily basis and nobody including the state governor is doing anything serious and sincere to address the spate of mayhem aside organizing arrangee visits with the military top commanders to establish “it was an inter-tribal conflict between the Fulanis and the indigenous people of Southern Kaduna.”
The Abuja Kaduna road spate of kidnapping and armed robbery, is also as a result of the activities of the illegal mining mafias of Zamfara or the inter -tribal conflict between Fulanis and the indigenous people of Southern Kaduna, abi?
The situation in the Southern parts of the country is not better either as kidnapping has become the new hobby of miscreants including security officials as Port Harcourt and Benin people can boldly tell you.
Frankly speaking, Fani Kayode hit the nail on the head in one of his comments as he said: “Our country is now exhibiting all the basic and fundamental characteristics of a classic failed state where, in parts of the north, the Federal Government and its security forces no longer have any control and can no longer claim to exert a monopoly of violence.
If this is not the case why would the Federal Government be offering Miyetti Allah and the terrorist Fulani herdsmen billions of naira to stop butchering, maiming, kidnapping and tormenting the Nigerian people and stealing their land and mineral resources. Governments are meant to fight and crush terrorists and terrorist organisations and defend their people and not beg or negotiate with them but this is the opposite of what we see today in the North. How long can we continue like this as a country? God help Nigeria!
(IFEANYI IZEZE: iizeze@yahoo.com; 234-8033043009)