As bandits overrun the North

Idris Mohammed

 

SIR: My condolences to the families and relatives of the 43 slaughtered farmers in Zabarmari village in Jere Local Government of Borno State by the deadly Boko Haram terrorists on Saturday November 28. It goes without saying that this government has failed to discharge its primary responsibility of securing the lives and property of the citizens.

This month alone, bandits not only ransacked a whole village in Gudu in Sokoto, over 40 worshippers were abducted in their mosques. In fact, northern Nigeria is fast becoming another Somalia. Recall that the Sultan of Sokoto, Ahaji Saadu Abubakar III described the region as the worst place to live. His warning is not only timely, it aptly captures the state of the mindless bloodletting due to insecurity in the region. Farmers are not able to go near to their farms, let alone cultivate their field. Villagers are made to pay levy and taxes to the bandits before they can access their farms just as people are forced to save money just in case kidnappers strike and abduct their loved ones.

The region is sliding to anarchy with all hope being lost. The ungoverned spaces in the region are major contributing factors to terrorism and armed criminal activities.

It’s disheartening to note that the people who have invested their time and resources expecting better life under this administration are being gruesome killed by armed bandits, kidnappers and Boko Haram. How long can we can we keep on suffering and smiling?

There is nothing wrong in the president changing his underperforming service chiefs all of whom have overstayed their tenure. The president should quickly inject new blood into the security system management and task them to come up with fresh ideas. Despite massive expenditure by Nigerian government over the last one decade, these security chiefs have not recorded any significant achievement in the war against insurgency and other insecurity in the country.

For the government to win this war, it must investigate the funds budgeted for security, change the service chiefs and also nip in the bud the inter-agency rivalry that continue to hamper efforts to crush the insurgency.

Insurgency requires tact, diplomacy and combativeness. Banditry requires a studied approach not only to understand the force fuelling it but the appropriate tactical methods to confront the monster.

Cooperating with border localities especially Lake Chad Basin areas will help curb the activities of the terror groups. Finally, the government should address the issue of explosive population growth, unemployment and climate change. These issues are exacerbating the crisis and fomenting lawlessness especially in the communities in northern Nigeria that border with Niger Republic and Chad.     

 

• Idris Mohammed,

Funtua, Katsina State.

 

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