Terror Attacks: Lamentations of fragile response to hunt covered gunmen
Clamours for arrest and justice over recent acts of terror, have not seem to be greeted with positive answers as the perpetrators of heinous crimes of killings and dehumanising criminalities are still at large in their uncovered status, enjoying coverage of unknown gunmen and impunible persons. Among these, the abductors of the Prelate, Methodist Church of Nigeria, Dr Samuel Uche, who was recently kidnapped in Abia State, alongside two other clergymen and freed after payment of huge ransom are still in their hideout, as security agents have not gathered enough intelligence to track them down, despite the close range of information ditched out by the victims. Those holding the victims of the Abuja-Kaduna train attack are still in their hideout since late March when they launched their attack without security repellance. Perpetrators of killing innocent individuals for claims of religious defence recently witnessed in Sokoto and Abuja, are yet to be fished-out and arraigned before the rod of justice.
The more recent killings of unsuspecting peaceful worshippers at the St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, for no reason, is yet to attract the arrest of the perpetrators. The Sunday June 5, 2022 afternoon attack had instantly left children and adults in their numbers dead, while more lost their lives among the scores injured. The apocalyptic nature of the attack which ought to have attracted nothing but a close, if not immediate clampdown on the perpetrators, has exposed the fragility of the security architecture. That an attack which should have been repelled if security architecture was in its right firmness, is still being surrounded with narrative of “no-arrest-yet” of the perpetrators, reflects how fragile the security architecture in the Country is, and how vulnerable citizens are to terror attacks.
Although the Federal Government has attributed the attack to the diabolical act of the Islamic State, West African Province (ISWAP), it is lamentable that no close range arrest could be made till now in relation to the attack. The grand summary from the National Security Council meeting on Thursday, 09, June, 2022, was that ISWAP masterminded the heinous crime. The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, who spoke to State House correspondents, shortly after the over three-hour council meeting presided over by the President, Muhammadu Buhari, at the Council Chambers of the State House, Abuja, only said security agencies were still in hunt after the perpetrators of the Owo killings, among other previous ones including those related to blasphemy-killings and kidnappings.
The loss of guard over security mayhem by terror groups has left nothing but a fragile society ravaged by the scourge of insurgencies. Despite outcries over signals of insecurity threats mounting up in the Southwest, it is pathetic the Government would keep displaying a cold disposition of docility, until terror groups would build-up the threshold of their bold impunity to launch attack that security forces would find themselves handicapped to repeal. The Owo attack would, no doubt, be a confidence bolster for the masterminded of terror mayhem to mount up pressure to launch attacks.
It appears by the irresponsive insensitivity of the security agencies, the fiendish elements have seen how frail the security architecture is, and how they can outsmart same to perpetrate their crimes. It is saddening that just three days after the Owo attack, gunmen had become emboldened, as another attack same in Ondo, left six dead. Wednesday 08, June 2022, no fewer than six persons were shot dead at Sabo Area of Ondo town, Ondo State by some gunmen suspected to be bandits. It was gathered that the gunmen carried out the attack using motorbikes.
It is indisputable that the Southwest is now on red alert and vulnerable to terror attacks, as enough signals have shown terror flashes throwing their splash of sprouting reflections. The interpretation of same is that no part of the Country is now safe. The need for the Government to awake from its docile slumber is more ever demanding than before. Leaving the Country in state of shambles, shattered by myriads of expression of terror-related activities, is threatening to coexistence in the Federation. Of these, the smear of psycho-disorder of lynching co-citizens for claims of blasphemy, without stern actions, have among others, continued to give certain section of the Nigerian society a colouration of anarchy, where impunity and flagrant mischiefs which are expression of archaic reflections of myopic cleavings, can freely operate unchecked.
The time for the Government to set the agenda aright to salvage the Country from the flashes of a looming collapse is alarming and of necessity. Government at all levels should rise beyond the limitations of the prevailing order to fix the drenching society of the Nigerian state, particularly for the Southwest where flashes of terror penetration are recently throwing blows of discomfort.
