That was despite the timely warning by a former Nigerian Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, that the nation stood the risk of disintegration, if the spate of violence currently spreading ‘in the system’ was allowed to fester.

According to the ex-head of state, the warning came against the background of recent ethnic clashes, insurgency, banditry and kidnapping across the country. While urging Nigerians to remain calm, Abubakar called on the people, especially the governors, ‘’to take full responsibility in managing the divergent voices and frustrations within their states that could fuel disunity, anarchy and disintegration.’’

currently spreading ‘in the system’ was allowed to fester.

According to the ex-head of state, the warning came against the background of recent ethnic clashes, insurgency, banditry and kidnapping across the country. While urging Nigerians to remain calm, Abubakar called on the people, especially the governors, ‘’to take full responsibility in managing the divergent voices and frustrations within their states that could fuel disunity, anarchy and disintegration.’’

Abubakar, who is also the chairman of the National Peace Committee, said, ‘’As if the continued insurgency, the kidnap and armed robbery are not cup full, the recent happenings in some parts of the country, of ethnic attacks, is unfortunate and is adding to the problems.

‘’In the last two weeks or so, tension has been growing in the country and the embers of disunity, anarchy and disintegration are spreading fast and if care is not taken, this might lead us to a point of no return.’’

It is a considered opinion of this paper that Abubakar’s opinion is timely to avoid unpleasant consequences for the country, both in the present and in the future. This paper has had the cause to address the nagging challenge of insecurity in our country in the recent past, and proffered suggestions as to how the challenge could be addressed.

Insecurity -whether robed as ‘banditry’, ‘insurgency’ ‘cultism’ ‘kidnapping’ or whatever, needs concerted efforts to attack.
Apart from the issues raised by Gen. Abubakar, we note that the issue of militant ethnicity, especially herdsmen-Farmers’ clashes, represent an ill-wind that does not blow anyone any good. We equally note the mindless cycles of blood-letting that have led to the deaths of many, orphaning of others and destruction of property by the regime of terrorists who range the land in search of blood, or cash, or something else. We appreciate the efforts of the leadership of the country to contain the spate of insecurity in the country, but we also feel they could do more to guarantee the safety of lives and property of the people.

Nigerians think that the recent appointment of new service chiefs would usher in an era of peace in the country, with the active co-operation of all and sundry. We equally note the concern of the state governors recently expressed on the issue of insecurity in the land, especially their call on the federal authorities to ‘prove’ to Nigerians that the government was not supporting criminality.

‘’What we expect from Mr. President is for him to come out and let Nigerians know that he does not support criminality,’’ the chairman of South-West Governors’ Forum, Rotimi Akeredolu, was quoted to have said last week. We join the call by Gen. Abubakar in calling on all Nigerians, especially the governors, to assist in checking disunity, anarchy and disintegration in the country, as well as condemn the needless verbal exchanges among state chief executives that breed disunity, or ‘civil war’.

It is noteworthy that the general also urged the new service chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police ‘’to rise to the urgent needs of the moment’’ by rallying troops and designing the best strategy ‘’to end this tragic war that has continued to consume and destroy the foundations of our country.’’
‘’We hope that based on your field experiences in this war, you can draw up a well-co-ordinated programme to ensure that all our resources are deployed to achieve the much needed victory in this avoidable war,’’ the general stated.

ThisNigeria recalls that ethnic tensions, particularly in the South-West, had recently festered in the country, especially in such states as Oyo, Ondo and Ogun between the Yoruba and Fulani herders on the one hand, and the Hausa on the other.

Kagara: Declare emergency on security, Senate tells Buhari

The ugly run on insecurity is aside the spate of terrorist attacks, banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery and the like prevalent in different parts of the country.
We join well-meaning Nigerians on a call for national emergency on security.

Meanwhile, it would seem that the defence minister’s advice to Nigerians to take more personal responsibility for their protection is not to be side-stepped. Recall the testimony of a school teacher, after the Kagara attack, that the community did not take the reports of bandits coming to attack serious:

‘’We had been hearing that bandits were planning to invade the school, but we took it as a rumour until the reality came on Wednesday. ‘’From all indications, the school is not secure because there is no fence to secure the students and staff. We only hope that government will do something immediately to fortify the security of the school and the entire area.’’

ThisNigeria notes the far-reaching measures outlined by state governors, under the National Economic Council (NEC), to contain insecurity by ‘dealing with trouble-makers’. This includes making states to bear the brunt of compensation payment for houses destroyed during ‘targeted attacks’, as well as immediate investigation, arrest and prosecution of all perpetrators of crimes, irrespective of ethnic, religious or regional status.

Notice is also taken of the latest warning by the immediate past chief of army staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, that insurgency could persist in the country for 20 more years, unless the civil authority provided economic and social solutions.
We can do better!