Curbing Insecurity In The Country

Why will anybody be so callous as to kill innocent souls on Christmas Day… How do you expect me to have faith in our Nigeria?”

That was the question of a young man, Chi Boy, who lost his elder sister in the bomb explosion that rocked St Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla, near Suleja on Christmas day.

The havoc which was wreaked by a suspected Boko Haram suicide bomber killed more than 25 people, burnt 13 cars and shattered nine apartments. Three families were said to have been burnt to death in their vehicles after boarding to depart the church at the end of the mass.

On that same joyful day, a blast occurred in Jos, Plateau State, killing a policeman and burning part of a church. Also, a suicide bomber attacked the Damaturu, Yobe State command headquarters of the State Security Service (SSS), killing three officers and injuring another.

It is indeed sad that on a day when Christians worldwide celebrated the nativity of their redeemer, Jesus Christ, some people for whatever reason chose to spill the blood of innocent citizens, including children.

It is still difficult to understand why a group of people continues to carry out unprovoked attacks on the masses. This year alone, Nigeria has recorded more than 10 of such attacks that left many innocent people dead and several others injured. The August 26 bomb assault on the United Nations House, the June attack on the Louis Edet House Police Headquarters, in Abuja and other senseless killing of the masses in churches, mosques, markets and other public places across some northern states like Borno, Kaduna, Bauchi and others are some of the gory examples. If the Boko Haram group has any grievance, is taking the lives of innocent Nigerians the answer?

The most surprising thing is the helplessness of the Federal Government to tackle the rising spate of insecurity and terrorism in the country.

Of course, the Federal Government had always assured after every explosion and killings that the perpetrators would be brought to book. Government had even gone as far as setting up a board of enquiry into the immediate and remote causes of insecurity in the country, especially as it concerns the post April 2011 general elections. But all these amount to more talks, no actions.

Reacting to the latest Madalla bomb blast, a Lagos Lawyer, Mr Femi Falana said, “as has been the case in the past two years the government will issue a statement threatening to deal with the culprits while the nation waits for another disaster to happen. The Federal Government should be told that Nigerians are tired of official statements that are full of sound and furry signifying nothing”.

The President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Ayo Oritsejafor also, while reacting to the December 7 explosion in Kaduna, which killed, at least, seven persons including a three-year-old child, urged the Federal Government to muster needed political will and deal with the growing trend of terrorism in the country.

He said, “except we make scapegoat of these people, we will continue to move in circles and watch our economy go down in tatters. We cannot continue like this and expect that manna will fall from heaven. We must make deliberate efforts to make Project Nigeria work?”

The CAN president also challenged the security operatives “to rise above religious, ethnic and other primordial sentiments to demonstrate their avowed neutrality to prove that they were not part of a grand design by a clique, bent on destabilising the nation”.

In the opinion of Falana, Federal Government should move urgently and decisively to shake up the security apparatus to assure Nigerians and the international communityof its capacity to guarantee the security of lives and property in the country.

He said, “in view of the worsening security situation in the country, I appeal to President Goodluck Jonathan to purge the security and intelligence apparatus of incompetent personnel who ought to have resigned their appointments over a year ago. Personal friendships and relationships should not be allowed to compromise the security of the nation”.

Indeed, far reaching measures including the ones suggested by eminent Nigerians, should be taken to ensure security of lives and property in the country.

As the Provincial Chairman of the Catholic Archdiocese of Kaduna, Rev Mike Gadache advised, “President Jonathan should explore various means to fight insecurity because the citizens are now living in fear and might begin to distrust him.

However,  the fight against terrorism in Nigeria is not that of President Jonathan alone. Parents traditional rulers, religious leaders, professional bodies and youths, have roles to play. The people that are causing tension in the nation did not fall from above. They have fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and relations. They live among us. We should therefore help the security agencies to fish them out and bring them to justice. Covering them up or keeping silent will not help the matter.

As the Senate President, David Mark told the northern leaders, “silence in the face of anarchy and wanton destruction is conspiratorial. Everybody must speak up against this festering cancer of violence. All our leaders across the country must speak in one voice and rise against this ugly trend. Their silence may be misconstrued to mean consent and indirect approval of the evil that is afflicting us right now.

Calista Ezeaku