Government must resist storms of insecurity
Jihadist conflict has raged in northeastern Nigeria since 2009, killing tens of thousands of people and displacing over two million. Another expression called banditry has left a gory record much recently. It appears the network has generated branches of instabilities which have made the subject of insecurity in the Country a complex trouble.
Recently, a gory attack by armed groups killed at least 160 people in Plateau State in a series of attacks on villages. According to local government officials on Monday, the toll marked a sharp rise from the initial figure reported by the Army, Sunday evening, of just 16 dead.
“As many as 113 persons have been confirmed killed as Saturday hostilities persisted to early hours of Monday,” Monday Kassah, head of the local government in Bokkos, Plateau State, told AFP. A provisional toll by the local Red Cross reported 104 deaths in 18 villages in the Bokkos region. At least 50 people were also reported dead in several villages in the Barkin Ladi area, according to Dickson Chollom, a member of the state parliament. The attacks which started in the Bokkos area spilled into neighbouring Barkin Ladi where 30 people were found dead, according to local chairman, Danjuma Dakil. Gunfire could still be heard on late Monday afternoon, according to a source from the region.
Amnesty International criticised the government in the wake of the attacks. It said, “the Nigerian authorities have been failing to end frequent deadly attacks on rural communities of Plateau state,” in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
President Bola Tinubu in reaction on Tuesday directed security agencies to scout for and apprehend culprits of the Christmas Day attacks in Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi Local Government Areas of Plateau State, which left at least 100 persons dead.
Tinubu on Tuesday who described the act as “heinous and brutal attacks,” said the perpetrators who he described as “envoys of death, pain, and sorrow will not escape justice.”
A statement signed Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, read in reaction to the attack: “President Bola Tinubu strongly condemns the heinous and brutal attacks in Bokkos and Barkin-Ladi Local Government Areas of Plateau State, which resulted in the tragic loss of many lives.
“President Tinubu directs security agencies to immediately move in, scour every stretch of the zone, and apprehend the culprits.
“The President also directs immediate mobilisation of relief resources for surviving victims of the primitive and cruel attacks as well as a medical treatment for the wounded.”
While condoling with the government and the people of Plateau State, Tinubu assured Nigerians that “these envoys of death, pain, and sorrow will not escape justice.”
On their part, the Northern Elders Forum knocked the military, condemning what it described as “devastating” and “heinous attacks” on five communities in Plateau State, describing it as the latest in a series of coordinated attacks, rampant killings, and mass displacements that have plagued the northern region.
In a statement signed by Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, NEF Director of Publicity and Advocacy, on Tuesday, the forum stated that it had reasons to suspect the government’s operational methods while raising concerns over the inability of the military to prevent the Christmas Eve killings despite claiming to have received 36 distress calls from different locations in the state.
“NEF strongly condemns this devastating act and expresses its heartfelt condolences to the families affected by this heinous crime. It is deeply distressing to witness the continuous deterioration of security in the conflict-affected areas of the North, which has led to countless lives being lost and a pervasive sense of fear and instability amongst the communities.
“Moreover, NEF expresses concern over the inability of the military to prevent the Christmas Eve killings, despite claiming to have promptly responded to 36 distress calls from different locations in Plateau State in the 48 hours leading up to Christmas.
“This highlights the Forum’s growing suspicions regarding the efficacy and sufficiency of the government’s operational methods. NEF questions whether the strategies employed by the government are flawed or grossly inadequate, given the audacious regularity and ease with which the attackers operate across the northern region,” the statement had read.
While also raising concerns over the loss of lives of two persons, and the kidnap of 25 others, including the Wife of the Village Head in Ruwan Dorawa Village in Zamfara, Abdullahi demanded an investigation into security lapses that resulted in the kidnap, adding that the report must be made public, while those responsible are held accountable.
The statement added, “NEF is also deeply concerned about the recent security incident in Ruwan Dorawa village, Zamfara State. The tragic event that unfolded on the same Christmas Eve resulted in the loss of two innocent lives and the abduction of over 25 individuals, predominantly children and women, including the wife of the village head.
“In light of this incident and the escalating security challenges faced by the region, NEF urgently demands a comprehensive investigation into the reported security lapse in Ruwan Dorawa village.”
The toll of killings is rising to become troublesome for comprehension. Recently, no fewer than seven persons were allegedly killed when suspected bandits attacked two communities in Sokoto State last Friday and Saturday.
The incidents, according to a source, happened in the Kojiyo community in Goronyo Local Government Area as well as Gwamatase village in Wurno LGA, both in the eastern flank of the State.
It is important that the government wakes up to the necessity to address the wind of insecurity in the Country. The growing wings of insecurity in the Country not only threaten lives and safety, but also have made businesses exposed to threats. At a time when businesses, large multinationals, are exiting the Country, it becomes more threatening to investors to hear of the worsening state of such attacks which send a sense of grave risks. It is highly condemnable that at a time when the season speaks celebration, a series of attacks took toll to turn the tide around. It is time the government wakes up to its responsibility of safety and security which is a priority for the government. Falling short would amount to the government failing in its duties.
