Insecurity is spreading and deepening the crisis across the nation. The authorities must act fast and stem the drift
In a joint public statement last week, 253 civil society organisations said Nigeria has lost over 2000 citizens to the worsening security crisis across the country in the first quarter of 2021. Many other stakeholders have voiced similar concerns. “Let’s not deceive ourselves; Nigeria is at war,” said Professor Pat Utomi, a political economist. “Unfortunately, the victims of that war, preponderantly, are the powerless, so we don’t count its toll well enough.”
For more than a decade, Nigeria has been grappling with a ruinous Islamist insurgency in the North-east. It has laid waste almost every economic activity in the zone, cost more than 100,000 innocent lives, and displaced millions of others. Despite the best efforts of the military, the insurgency is spreading to neighbouring regions and beyond. The Northwest, hitherto isolated from terrorist activities, is now home to all kinds of heinous crimes. In a slew of attacks across the region particularly in Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara and Kaduna States, bandits armed with sophisticated weapons, regularly invade villages and communities, killing and rustling cattle at will. Kaduna is plagued by incessant kidnappings and communal violence. In recent months, armed groups have attacked several communities and schools, killing and abducting students for huge ransom.
In the last few weeks, Niger, in the North central area, has become a haven for the terrorists. They have captured some communities, hoisted their flag and are reportedly collecting taxes from their captives to further their criminal activities. The Governor of the state, Abubakar Bello recently alerted the nation that the insurgents have slashed parts of his territory and they could indeed threaten Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja. More worrying is as entrepreneurs of violence spread their tentacles across Nigeria the security agencies seemed overwhelmed. In Benue State, for instance, Governor Sam Ortom has repeatedly advocated the carrying of arms by everyone for self-defence. He was talking from experience. Benue is the vortex of criminality. Thousands of innocent people have been killed and thousands more displaced through farmer-herder’s crisis over grazing land. Only last week, some 11 people were killed in Gwer West local council of the state.
Even the relatively secure Southwest is increasingly being drawn into the cauldron of violence with communal crisis and growing cases of kidnapping for ransom. The Southeast and the South-south are experiencing a surge of violence. Separatists attacks are widespread as gunmen seemed to have declared war on law enforcement agencies. From Imo to Abia, Rivers and Akwa Ibom States, policemen have become sitting targets for extermination. Yet, beyond mere statements of appeal, President Muhammadu Buhari is yet to come out with any winning strategy to deal with the war being unleashed on Nigerians. This is emboldening all kinds of agitations in the polity – from restructuring to outright secession.
In response to the deteriorating security situation in the country, governors of the southern states last week met in Asaba, Delta State after which they urged President Buhari to address the nation to douse growing tension and restore the confidence of citizens. In a 12-point communiqué, the 17 governors of South-west, South-east and South-south expressed grave concerns over the incursion of armed herders, criminals and bandits into the southern part of the country and resolved to ban open cattle grazing in the region. As a lasting solution to the socio-economic challenges plaguing the nation, they recommended restructuring the country, creation of state police and the review of revenue allocation formula.
We share the position of the governors on the need to tinker with our skewed federal structure. Not only do these regional coalitions give the states a better opportunity to work together to wrestle more powers from a centre that has continued to entrap enormous resources, it also offers perhaps a more effective way to tackle the security challenge that is increasing leading the country on the path to anarchy. While there is an immediate need to arrest the slide, we must also acknowledge that we have a serious structural problem.
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For more than a decade, Nigeria has been grappling with a ruinous Islamist insurgency in the North-east. It has laid waste almost every economic activity in the zone, cost more than 100,000 innocent lives, and displaced millions of others
