<p><strong>The disturbing curve and general outcry of insecurity in the Nigerian system perpetrated by insurgents, kidnappers and armed robbers of different shades necessitated a look at government’s initiatives and strategies aimed at curbing the menace. However, findings indicate that government’s game plan and other sundry initiatives contribute more to the problems than solutions. This is validated by the fact that each time Boko Haram and ISWAP overpowered a military base, they seized caches of assault rifles and hundreds or thousands of rounds of ammunition for use in later strikes, fuelling their bloody rebellions and making nonsense of government’s huge expenditure on arms and ammunition procurement. </strong> <strong>Valentine Oleabhiele<em> </em>writes</strong></p>



<p><em>“At home, we face
enormous challenges. Insecurity, pervasive corruption and power shortages are
the immediate concerns. We are going to tackle them head on. Nigerians will not
regret that ;they have entrusted national responsibility to us. We must not
succumb to hopelessness and defeatism. We can fix our problems.</em></p>



<p><em>The most immediate
is Boko Haram’s insurgency. Progress has been made in recent weeks by our
security forces but victory can not be achieved by basing the Command and
Control Centre in Abuja. The command centre will be relocated to Maiduguri and
remain until Boko Haram is completely subdued. But we can not claim to have
defeated Boko Haram without rescuing the Chibok girls and all other innocent
persons held hostage by insurgents.</em></p>



<p><em>This government
will do all it can to rescue them alive. Boko Haram is a typical example of
small fires causing large fires. An eccentric and unorthodox preacher with a
tiny following was given posthumous fame and following by his extra judicial
murder at the hands of the police. Since then through official bungling,
negligence, complacency or collusion Boko Haram became a terrifying force
taking tens of thousands of lives and capturing several towns and villages
covering swathes of Nigerian sovereign territory.………….. For now the Armed
Forces will be fully charged with prosecuting the fight against Boko Haram. We
shall overhaul the rules of engagement to avoid human rights violations in
operations. We shall improve operational and legal mechanisms so that
disciplinary steps are taken against proven human right violations by the Armed
Forces. We have an opportunity. Let us take it.”</em></p>



<p>The above is an excerpts from the inaugural speech by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari following his swearing-in as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on May 29, 2015.</p>



<p>There was hope in the air. Citizens were enthusiastic about an imminent solution to issues that have kept them gasping for breath the years before.</p>



<p>Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the party that lost at the presidential poll to the All Progressives Congress, APC, was seen as a fugitive, the worst that ever happened to Nigerian’s quest for equitable standard of living. To an extent, they were not wrong. </p>



<p>Having enjoyed presidential power for 16 years, PDP was obviously become bereft of ideas on how to move Nigeria forward. Insecurity was one area the party couldn’t just find solution and at best, PDP was helpless and the country was severed by Boko Haram.</p>



<p>With that scenario, it was not difficult to decipher the reasons citizens were happy about the change of government. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://openlife.ng/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Tank-3-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2546"/><figcaption><strong>This tank with Boko Haram&#8217;s inscription which is being used by the insurgents to kill unsuspecting Nigerians was purchased with Nigerian tax payers&#8217; money</strong></figcaption></figure>



<p>But regrettably, nothing has changed almost six years after those promising and assuring statements at Abuja Eagle Square, the venue of presidential oath taking.</p>



<p>Only recently, incidences of killings, kidnapping and high tech robberies indicate that the beautiful ones are not yet born. In specific term, some of the solutions and strategies initiated by government are not working. Every day, things degenerate into frightening proportion. The administrative order, at inception of Buhari’s government to relocate the “Command and Control” of the Nigerian army from Abuja to Maiduguri, the haven of insurgents, have not resolved killings. </p>



<p>For instance,<strong> f</strong>resh revelations have emerged on how Boko Haram insurgents attacked Garkida town in Gombi Local Government Area of Adamawa State for six hours on February 22 night. The town is located on the Gombi-Biu-Damaturu Road, which shares proximity with Southern Borno and Sambisa Forest.</p>



<p>OpenLife
investigation reveals that while police barracks, churches and a house
belonging to Gen Paul Tarfa (retd.) were among several buildings burnt by the
terrorists during the attack, the Islamic State’s West Africa Province claimed
responsibility for the attack, alleging that they killed three soldiers and
took some worshippers in a church hostage in addition to other villagers in the
community.</p>



<p>Though army
officers were said to have engaged the terrorists in a fierce gun battle, many
persons were feared killed by the invaders who announced their entry into the
town by shooting aimlessly.</p>



<p>The insurgents
came in their numbers with several vans to ransack the town, looting
pharmaceutical shops and homes for foodstuffs.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://openlife.ng/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Buhari.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2547"/><figcaption><strong>President Buhari</strong></figcaption></figure>



<p>A source said,
“They had unfettered access because a battalion of troops in the town was
withdrawn sometime back, leaving behind just a few soldiers who could not repel
the insurgents. After looting, they burnt down a police barracks, police
station, two churches; Living Faith and EYN, and a shopping mall.”</p>



<p><strong> </strong>Expectedl<strong>y, </strong> former vice-president and presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in the 2019 elections, Atiku Abubakar, decried the attacks on his <em>Twitter</em> page, while lamenting the increasing attacks by the insurgents. “The attack by Boko Haram against lives and properties of innocent Nigerians is unbecoming. My prayers are with the people of Garkida in my home state of Adamawa over the cowardly attack that happened over the weekend. May God give the affected families fortitude to bear the loss,” he wrote.</p>



<p>To demonstrate
how ineffective solutions to terrorism has been, Federal Government
announcement in December that it would withdraw troops from areas where peace
had been restored. Since then, ; no fewer
than 268 persons had been killed by bandits and Boko Haram terrorists since
January 2020. </p>



<p>Apparently
shocked by the spate of killings by the insurgents in recent times, Buhari had
said when he received a delegation of Eminent and Respected Citizens of Niger
State, led by Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, to the State House, Abuja, that the
recent activities of the terrorist group were surprising. ; “During our campaigns, we knew about the Boko
Haram. What is coming now is surprising. It is not ethnicity or religion,
rather it is one evil plan against the country. We have to be harder on them.
One of the responsibilities of government is to provide security.”</p>



<p>Feeling sad,
renowned Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Matthew Kukah recalled Buhari’s
promise during the 2015 electioneering when he stated while campaigning that if
he was elected, the world would not have to worry about insecurity in Nigeria.
Kukah disclosed this ; at the burial of
the 18-year-old seminarian, Nnadi, killed by gunmen, ; Kukah, however, pointed out that five years
after, ; Buhari has brought nepotism and
clannishness into the military and the ancillary security agencies.</p>



<p>As a
demonstration of loss of confidence in the government, ; Buhari’s convoy was booed in Maiduguri, in
apparent protest against the level of insecurity in the state. Buhari had
headed straight to Borno on his arrival from Ethiopia, where he attended the
33rd Ordinary Session of the Heads of State and Government of the African
Union.</p>



<p>A report by a
British investigator, Kurtis Palms exposed ;
the loopholes in peace keeping operations </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://openlife.ng/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Buratai.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2548"/><figcaption><strong>Confused Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, Chief of Army Staff</strong></figcaption></figure>



<p>“They’re coming under attack and they’re losing a lot of
lives — and weaponry. The armed groups are becoming stronger as a result of the
lethal material they claim from peacekeepers who are ostensibly there to defeat
them.”</p>



<p>In some cases, entire battalions are overrun, like in
Boko Haram’s rout of a military base and 700 troops ;in Jilli, in Yobe
state, in July 2018. In others, rebels hit patrols of a dozen soldiers and make
off after loading up with guns and ammo.</p>



<p>Weapons airdrops to resupply peacekeepers can fall into
the wrong hands. Convoys are prone to raids. Underpaid soldiers from
morale-sapped units have been known to make cash trading guns on the side,
Berman said. ;</p>



<p>The true scale of the problem is unknown — top brass typically
keep quiet about missing field artillery. At the very least, “crates and
crates” of thousands of weapons and millions of rounds of ammunition have been
lost to the bad guys, Kurtis  ;said. ;</p>



<p>Meanwhile, as insecurity rages on, studies have shown that the rich lives longer
and even heartier than those grasping for survival at the lowest strata of the
food chain ―the poor. And in a third world country, living in penury is a
veritable and potent weapon for easy death. The wealthy may reach into their storehouse
and exchange pounds for better healthcare and security; simply put, the rich by
virtue of their resources can buy more time on earth while the poor can only
cling on means less elusive: fate and then hope and prayer. But by some very
shred measures, the situation in Nigeria seems to have put this idea to
mockery. ; </p>



<p>In today’s
Nigeria, an individual’s networth cannot keep him out of danger’s reach and the
grip of cruel men. And this is not just a myth. While Boko Haram insurgency,
herdsmen violence and banditry have thrived unabated, the upsurge in kidnapping
for ransom has taken prominence with the wealthy as prime targets.</p>



<p>Court judges,
prominent traditional rulers, politicians and even highly ranked security
personnel have been reportedly kidnapped with ransom lengthy negotiated before
they regain freedom. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://openlife.ng/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Babagana-Monguno-.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2549"/><figcaption><strong>Babagana Monguno, National Security Adviser</strong></figcaption></figure>



<p>This reality
brings to fore the worsening state of insecurity across the country. It
exemplifies the wretched fate and vulnerability of the common man, maligned and
deserted at the mercy of merciless terror. Again, this places huge emphasis on
the governments’ evident failures in the fight against terrorism, chewing on
her inability to fulfill her most rudimental function, which is to protect
lives and properties of the citizenry.</p>



<p><strong>How we got here</strong></p>



<p>A review of the
rise in violence and bloody confrontations can be traced to politicians and
their quest for power. Since the return of democracy, politicians set a
precedence of utilizing violence and intimidation to complement campaign for
the purpose of victories at the polls. In the buildup to elections, groups are
armed and charged to perpetrate violence and intimidate voters at units that
are out of their sponsor’s reach. This often leads to hostility with opposing
group and they leave tears and blood in their wake. And when the tide of
electioneering has abated, these groups still in possession of arms tend to
utilize it as an effectual means to retain relevance and survival.</p>



<p>Further review
brings to attention the never-ending agitation for equitable revenue
distribution and resource control and it contributing effect to the increase of
violence in Nigeria. There is a long held sensitivity of ostracism by a section
of the country in terms of political patronage and government development. The
South East stand recognized on this regard, and this perception has kindled
resentment and revolt through the now proscribed IPOB movement. </p>



<p>Going further
south, even after the amnesty program by the Umar Yar’Adua administration, the
Niger Delta still remains a hotbed of viciousness with a considerable stockpile
of arms lurking in the creeks, while the occasional confrontations between
contending actors and government forces, fuels general insecurity.</p>



<p>Again,
ethno-religious disharmony and porous border has by far had a much significant
impact in the surge of insecurity in Nigeria, especially in the North. Book
Haram and ISWAP are foundationally motivated by religious fundamentalism.
Fulani herdsmen clashes with farmers are partly spiked by ethnic
differentiations. And banditry which has seen has taken prominence lately is
being breed by foreigners who move arms effortlessly through the land borders
across the North. </p>



<p>And while the
highlights in previous paragraphs are veritable source of generalized violence
in Nigeria, the bigger problem stems from wanton corruption, underdevelopment,
joblessness, lack of education and penury. These are foundational factors of
national stability and when they are overlooked and unaccounted for, it creates
a people and an environment destined for chaos that has the tendency to spill
continent-wide. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://openlife.ng/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Boko-Haram-1024x552.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2550"/><figcaption><strong>Boko Haram in strategic meeting</strong></figcaption></figure>



<p>After a 12 days
mission in Nigeria, in a preliminary statement, Special Rapporteur Agnes
Callamard reportedly lamented that “The overall situation I encountered in
Nigeria gives rise to extreme concern.” The United Nation tagged Nigeria a
‘Pressure Cooker’ owing to the spate of internal conflict. And according to the
World Economic Forum, Nigeria ranked 5th in the top 10 most dangerous countries
in the world. </p>



<p>This security
situation has compelled the people to seek self in shielding themselves from
danger. One of the most prominent of these is the Operation Amotekun by the
South West governors. The security establishment is designated to help police
the region against violence especially from invaders like herdsmen and bandits
who are ethnically Fulanis. The controversy fueled by the institutionalization
of a regional armed security outfit has been on the front burner of national
discussion. And it has degenerated into a battle of words between the Northern
and Southern divide. </p>



<p><strong>Salvaging the situation</strong></p>



<p>Strengthening the
weak security system is by far the most relevant leeway out of the quagmire of
conflict the nation is caught in. The Nigerian security formations should be
reviewed, corruption should be stamped out and personnel must be well funded
and motivated. The use of advance technology and large collection of data to
profile people will aide intelligence gathering, logistics and sharing would
generally enhance the system. </p>



<p>How the government
is proactive and preemptive in dealing with security warnings and threats would
also determine by a good measure how safety is guaranteed. And a proper synergy
between all security arms is a formal for success. </p>



<p>By and large,
everything else in the country is founded on a strong and stable economic
policy. With large scale economic development, evenly distributed government
appointment development, human capital is increased and the populace is
harmonious and engages gainfully while the government earns handsomely from tax
and foreign exchange. ; This would
invariably mean people would have more value for life and living, thereby
reducing the attraction for violent crime. </p>

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