*Adewumi Ademiju*
Nigerians for over a period have been battling with series of security challenges.
Challenges of Insurgency, herdsmen attack, Fulani /Farmers Clash, kidnapping, banditry.,….
The menace has claimed countless souls in the country, while many rendered homeless.
Before, it was the issue of Boko Haram where terrorists in the North under the auspices of self beliefs hide to kill and torment innocent citizens.
At a time posting of Corp members to some states in Boko Haram areas were checkedmate to save the soul of young graduates in the course of serving their fatherland.
Embattled Nigerians have cried enough to get out of the malaise, but all to no avail.
The ugly scene, somehow spread its tentacles to Fulani herdsmen attack/kidnapping. which in turn metamorphosed into different kinds of seemingly unexplanatory attacks/killings.
Nigerians in an attempt to tackle insecurity are clamouring for community policing.
Though, some groups -vigilant groups are already in existence ,informally playing the roles of community policing.
Many Nigerians have come out with a suggestion that adoption of community policing will bring out the enablement of fishing out criminals in various communities.
“Eligible community police are conversant of their environment, they know who is who in the Urban/Rural areas ,let them work in conjunction with the conventional Security agencies”
Effectiveness in the system calls for additional role for the traditional rulers as traditional rulers could be made to super intend the system in their various communities.
Community Policing should be purely orchestrated to tackle crimes and not civil issues.
How does the system get structured in such that will not be politicized is probably the reason why some argued that Nigeria is not yet ripe for it
Insecurity in Nigeria has got to a stage whereby drastic measures need to be put in place.
It’s time for Nigeria leaders to prove it as an understatement that they enjoy insecurity bedeviling their subjects.
There is no day that cases of different forms of attack /violence, would not be reported in the media.
Quite a number of innocent souls are sent to their early graves on daily basis in the name of insecurity.
Kidnapping looms as many fall victims of abduction. Travelers are no longer safe not even because of auto crash, but for fear of abductors who earn their own living at the expense of human lives.
kidnappers demand huge ransom throwing families of victims into tumult and agony.
Families who are not able to meet up with the ransom, lose their persons ,worst still ,those who are able to meet up even in some cases unfortunately, loose their persons, this is aside many inexplicable cases of criminal attacks that have claimed the lives of innocent Nigerians.
The question is, has it now become a tradition in the country that each regime ‘ll be battling with a particular menace of insecurity ,which always amounts to continuity of panicking and insecurity, while politicians who are at the other side of affairs hammer on the malaise as a tool of highlighting the weakness of their opponents and therefore promising quick and adequate solution if were in power.
This seems to be the scenario Nigerians have been facing for long.
Whatever it might be, it is high time for those at the helms of affairs and the intending ones to know and realize that it’s too costly to trade with lives and souls of Nigeria and the citizens.
It’s a complete and an outright incompetence on the part of any leader who assumed the position with promises of tackling and combating various security challenges causing instability and at the end of the day failed to do so.
Nigerians have suffered a lot in the hands of both past and present leaders.
Politicians in preparation for elections present to Nigerians that all the challenges are surmountable in no time if they get elected, but funny enough, on getting to power, they begin to ramble round the issue without tangible solution.
Unfortunately, Electorates constitute problem .They are not ready to listen to the truth ,politicians take advantage of that and give a lot of fake promises.
Let patriotism prevails in the mind of every electorate ,let electorates stop taking money from politicians during political contest.
let the electorates prove to politicians that money is not mandate. Let them design better ways of using their mandates to get solid /real performance on issue based campaign from politicians .
It is highly sympathetic for the poor electorates after performing their civic roles at appropriate time to at end of the day be at their own mercies ,battling insecurity when the leaders adopt theoretical approach to burning issues that affect peoples’ lives.
Education is germane in tackling any form of crime . Though insecurity is everywhere, the way it’s happening in the North is incomparable.
Take for instance the issue of Boko Haram. Activities of Almajiri in the North is another ,for those who are familiar with it.
Almajiri even have uniform in Abuja..
Sound and adequate education will curtail all these.
Federal Government and all the 36 state governors in Nigeria should earmark adequate budget on education.
Education liberates people from crime , this is not to say criminals cannot be found among the educated, but majority of the people that commit crime are basically illiterates
High rate of unemployment is another issue to tackle in the fight of Insecurity. Sincerity of purpose on the part of government is crucial in handling crisis of unemployment.
Bid to survive as a result of unemployment could trigger crime. The word ‘Discipline’ is not practised by everyone .
Boko Haram is a precarious issue Nigeria is managing at a very huge cost. A precarious situation aggravated due to the insincerity of government and political saboteurs.
In a bid to tackle crimes, , let the leadership both past and present be cooperative, because if they are not on the same page, to come about resolution might be difficult.
If culpable herdsmen are treated purely as criminals, they would cease criminal activities. They are exhibiting criminal acts, because they feel they are untouchable.
There have not been serious arrest and prosecution on these evil perpetrators and this makes them do things with all sense of impunity.
Government, up till now has not really demonstrated any seriousness in tackling the menace.
Fulani herdsmen have become terrorists everywhere in the country.
It was even gathered that many of these herdsmen worked for some politicians during the election but after the election, the politicians left them uncatered for, so they (the herdsmen) resorted to self help of crime/kidnapping. when money is no longer coming from the source, which could be responsible to why the menace is waxing high .
There is often reports of Terrorists/bandits even killing army officers in Ambush.
Issue of ethnicity/Sabotage should be set aside.
Is it not human beings that give information to the hideouts criminals..Nigeria has lost brilliant officers-Colonels Major Generals due to sabotage.
As some people are trying to make efforts to curb the menace, some are frustrating, thwarting and sabotaging the efforts.
As long as the country remains like that, Insecurity will be daring the people.
To drastically tackle Insecurity, Nigerians must come together ,put aside whatever differences/ethnicity and think outside the box ,while the leadership and the governed be patriotic with serious commitment and political Wills to make a United Nation/ Country.
Insecurity is causing tension in the land and capable of disintegrating the country, if something is not done on time.
As a way forward for instance, former president, Olusegun Obasanjo recently put forward a suggestion to combat the crisis, whatever differences, why not separate the message from the messenger and take into cognizance the content of the recent letter by the former President.
Take the OBJ last letter, dissect it and see the message. All the practical suggestions he has given as way forward are very germane.
It is high time to forget about political differences, look at the bigger picture and thoroughly study the letter.
Election has gone. Let the victorious be magnanimous in victory and allow the country to move forward.
Security issue is not for government alone ,it shouldn’t be left to security agencies alone. Traditional rulers, all citizens, community leaders must be involved, because criminals live in the communities, either in homes or farms, people see them. Why can’t people volunteer information, with the assurance that the security agencies would not use it against them /leak it.
Security Challenges demand urgent attention to drastically reduce the malaise in our nation.
The second schedule of the Nigeria constitution stipulated that security is the responsibility of government. Any government that cannot secure its people has lost the responsibility.
All hands must be on deck at this point in time. We have gone beyond the issue of sloganeering, condolence messages, commiserating with the families of those that were murdered due to insecurity as fondly done by leaders /government. Government should take proactive steps to curtail the menace.
Enough of Condolence Messages!
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