Olusegun Olanrewaju
The outgoing year, 2002, is noted for the positives and the negatives the good, the bad, and the ugly.

This is talking about sundry gains in economic reforms, the devastating regime of floods, the Boko Haram insurgency, the COVID-19 pandemic, herder-farmer conflicts in Nigeria, Insurgency in South-Eastern Nigeria, and bandit conflicts, among others.

A retrospective look at what happened in the year shows that though Nigerians savoured a lot of goodies in the outgoing year, they still have a lot to look towards in the incoming year, particularly the heavyweight general elections scheduled against the May 29, 2023 handing over date.

The gates of January woke the very first week with a resounding tale of woe. Between January 4th and 6th, 2022, the restive North-Eastern state of Zamfara was caught up in a whirlwind of ‘massacres’perpetrated by the ubiquitous groups of bandits who range the land for blood, ransom, or both.

The orgy was to orchestrate later in mid January in Dankande, when on the 14th and 15th, in the evening (14th), a group of bandits attacked a village in Dankade, Kebbi State, also in North-West Nigeria, and after a shootout with soldiers and the police, two soldiers and a police officer were reported killed, before the security forces retreated.

Reports said the gang continued their assault into the early hours of the following day (15th), killing numerous villagers, burning down shops and grain silos, and rustling cattle.
The gang was also said to have kidnapped villagers, including its community leader, and by the time they finished their raid, the bandits “left dead bodies lying all over the
streets of Dankade.”

The vicious raid was captured by a survivor who narrated to journalists; “Many were killed and their corpses burnt. We can’t tell the number of fatalities right now. We left wondering why terror killings seem to be on the rise, particularly in the North West region. In their ‘usual fashion, ’state authorities were accused of putting the casualty number at 18, but locals said the bandits had
killed over 50 civilians.

The narrative in Kebbi and other states started with the build-up surrounding February 5, 2022, the local governments in the state.

On February 10, bandits ransacked Rogoji, Bakura, in Zamfara State, killing five people and sacking the populace by way of a mass exodus from the village.

According to a report, the bandits were requested to do so by a woman whose son was killed by vigilantes, causing untoldgrief to all.Also around the time, armed robbers raided a bullion van
in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, killing six people, including two policemen.

NFSC inducts 11 new members

It was the turn of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on February 12, when during the local elections caused mayhem, leaving in their trail, sorrow, tears, and blood. Like the late Afrobeat legend, Fela
Anikulapo-Kuti would sing.

Local government election was another casualty on February 23, when some ‘unknown gunmen’ struck in the South-Eastern state of Enugu, just before the Kebbi massacre.

It was not all gloomy, though, local government elections were scheduled for various dates 12 March (Imo); 9 April(Adamawa); 10 April (Plateau); 11 April (Katsina); 19 April (Edo); 7 May (Benue),
among other.

While some states met the target in this regard, mostly with drama and bloodshed,
others did not.
*Gory tales
On 28 March, a passenger train was hi- jacked on the Abuja–Kaduna train track sending another wave of fear of ‘home grown’ terrorism.

The Abuja–Kaduna train was attacked in Katari, Kaduna State, Nigeria. In response,the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) halted operations along the route.

The incident happened at around 7:45pm when hundreds of passengers traveling northwards on their way to destinations in the North-West were kidnapped in Katari,
Kaduna State.

Others trapped in the deadly journey were killed and injured by bandits who bombed an Abuja-Kaduna train.

Different figures were bandied, but no fewer than 970 passengers were eventually listed to be on board. Further reports say several others could have been abducted into the bush by the rampaging bandits,who were sighted, according to a passenger who escaped the onslaught, on motorbikes holding firearms and other deadly weapons.

The train was said to have left Abuja’s Idu station at about 6:00 pm, and was scheduled to arrive in Kaduna’s Rigasa train station by 8pm.

Eyewitness accounts also said the train was bombed twice before the armed bandits opened fire at the passengers. Sixty-two passengers were abducted in the attack.

After a long period of waiting and anguish,  they were eventually released unhurt in batches.
The Acting Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture, Alwan Ali-Hassan, was freed on the 6th ofApril. Eleven passengers were freed on the 11th of June, seven passengers were released on the 9th of July, and four passengers on the 25th of July.

Moreover, five passengers were set free on the 2nd of August; seven passengers on the 10th, and four passengers on August 19. The final batch of 23 passengers was later released on 6th September.
*Casualties
In the landmark Abuja-Kaduna train hijack, no fewer than eight people were killed, including a youth leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC),Amin Mahmoud; Chinelo Megafu Chinelo, a medical doctor, Tibile Mosugu, a rising lawyer, and son of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and Barrister Musa Lawal-Ozigi, secretary-general, Trade Union Congress (TUC).

Megafu Chinelo, a doctor, had been declared dead hours after she said on Twitter that she had been shot on the Kaduna-bound train. A statement released on 28 March 2022, revealed that the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) verified the Chinelo tweet short- ly after the train was attacked by terrorists: “I’m in the train, I have been shot. Please pray for me”.

During the local government elections on 12 May, Deborah Yakubu was lynched by a mob of studentsin Sokoto State following allegations of blasphemy