In the last Nine months or so Nigeria had faced an un precedented greatest challenge of security across all parts of the country. For sure lives we’re increasingly threatened at home and on the roads during the period.
While the North East battles terrorism, the North West and North Central were unsettled by bandits, rapes, cattle rustlers and kidnappers and the southern part of the country has also been threatened by banditry, robberies and vandalism that overwhelmed security agencies most of which predated the coming of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Despite the numerous challenges facing the security agencies comprising of the military, Police, Nigeria Security and civil defence corps, department of State services, DSS among others, the consolation is that they are doing their best to restore law and order and protect more lives and properties of Nigerians.
It is a fact that the country’s security agencies are strategically doing enough to contain all types of criminality in the land so that normalcy will return as the order of the day.
Undisputably, lives and properties have been lost while disruptions to lives and livelihoods have dominated the country over the years and are bringing untold hardships and inconveniences to millions of Nigerians.
It is important that Nigerians begin to appreciate the commitment and doggedness of officers, men and women members of our security agencies for their sacrifice to protect all and sundry while putting their lives in extreme danger.
Recent reports on the security situation in the country have indicated that the security agencies are significantly making inroads into the enclaves and dens of kidnappers, terrorists and other hardened criminals who have been causing untold hardships to innocent, law abiding Nigerians. As a result of which daily reports of attacks by criminals have been reduced to once in a week incidents courtesy of the renewed commitment and support from President Buhari.
It is never in doubt that President Buhari is fully committed and alive to his responsibilities of securing lives and properties of Nigerians and he will not be distracted by the rantings of the opposition and their accomplices. Even the doubting Thomases are doing so for mischief.
It must be noted that at the peak of the surge in kidnappings, banditry and other crimes during the first phase of Corona virus, several voices saturated the air calling on PMB to sack the service chiefs for allowing killings in the land. Some even shamelessly called on President Buhari to resign from office instead of proferring solutions to the way of the challenge.
Regrettably however, the country’s National Assembly joined the fray by passing a “politicised resolution” asking the President to remove the 5 Service Chiefs from office for failing in their duty to save lives of Nigerians.
However, the Senate President, Ahmed lawan convinced by the substantial progress recorded by the security agencies in the fight against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, vandalisation, robbery and other sundry crimes, passed a vote of confidence on the managers of our Security for reversing the ugly trend.
The Senate President said “nothing is impossible; this situation of insecurity is gradually being reversed. I am particularly happy with recent developments by our Armed Forces. They are doing better than they were doing before.”
Like it is always said, Security is everybody’s business, Nigerians must as individuals support security agents by providing useful intelligence information of crimes and criminals for them to proactively and professionally act upon and save lives and properties. Some unpatriotic Nigerians will rather withhold vital information that will assist security agents stop crimes and be the first to blame government when incidents happen.
In the midst of all these, it is very encouraging that some well meaning Nigerians have risen up to the challenge to support government with their endowed expertise and calling in its fight against all forms of crimes and criminalities.
Efforts of an erudite and controversial Kaduna based Islamic scholar, Sheikh Dr Ahmad Gumi to educate, support and pacify aggrieved Fulani herdsmen that turn into kidnapping and armed banditry achieved a major milestone recently as his peace initiatives mission succeeded in mobilising and meeting with over 500 Fulani kidnappers and bandits that used to terrorize Zaria-Giwa road and communities as well as that of Birnin Gwari area in Kaduna State.
Media reports indicated that during the historic interaction and preaching session at a remote bush in Sabon Garin Yadi, hundreds of Fulani stakeholders from different parts of the country also attended the session.
Sabon Garin Yadi in Giwa Local Government is 65 kilometers from Zaria, and the location of the bush where the armed Fulanis freely preferred and gathered to listen to Sheikh Gumi is a journey of about 30 kilometres with no provision of road networkl. Out of the over 500 armed Fulanis that were present include about 25 of their top commanders.
Supported by the federal government, particularly the Nigeria Police, Sheikh Gumi’s carrot approach and confidence-building mission is key to any truce that will ensure lasting peace and security especially in northern states that used to record high rate of kidnappings and banditry.
Virtually all the top armed commanders were freely addressed the session with almost all of them lamenting the condition they were subjected to and the frustrations that led them into kidnapping and banditry.
They told Sheikh Gumi and Kaduna Police Commissioner Umar Muri that they were forced into taking up arms because ‘over the years they were subjected to constant humiliation, harassment, arbitrary arrests, extortion and even killings of innocent ones by law enforcement agents.’
To make matters worse for the Fulani settlements, they stated that they lack government’s presence and absence of basic necessities like water, schools, clinics etc in all their localities and vowed that as long as government and the society did not change their attitudes towards them, there will never be peace.
A stitch in time saves lives. May we continue to provide useful information and support to security agencies to nip in the bud all forms of crimes in our beloved country for security, peace, progress and development to thrive. That is what the security agencies demand from the populace to enable them perform optimally.
