By OLUSESAN LAOYE
The constant security threats to the coexistence in Nigeria has now exposed the inability of the Federal government to tackle the challenges being posed by different militant groups and other criminals especially, kidnappers, ritualists, Fulani herdsmen who were daily in conflicts with farmers and their activities have now put the country under siege..
The activities of these criminals and militants, especially the Boko Haram and the Fulani herders who attacked innocent villagers and travelers, have also put Nigeria as one of the most dangerous and unsecured counties in the world.
Although the nation has been facing security issues in the last 12 years, what was experienced in that last five years has made Nigerians and even the international community to write off the government of President Muhammadu Buhari as incapable of handling the situation which is on the verge of consuming the country!
The situation has also made Nigerians to lose hope in President Buhari, whom they thought would be their saviour, to fix numerous problems, particularly insecurity when he came to power in 2015. Their hopes are dashed as the situation is getting worse by the day.
It is glaring all over the country and even globally, that not much has been done by the present Nigerian government, contrary to the claim that the country is the safest to live in, as proclaimed by the presidency, with the latest statement coming from the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Muhammed.
But despite all these claims, Nigeria, internationally, has been rated very low in terms of adequate security and the inability of the government to tackle it. This has led to the current travel alert on Nigeria by the U.S. government and visa ban.
According to the Global Peace Index (GPI), it ranked Nigeria as the 148 out of 168 countries. The world, peace ranking put Nigeria at 40 out of the 44 nations in the Sub – Saharan African.
The killing of Christians in Nigeria especially in the Northern parts of the country has compounded the fear and apprehension that the security architecture in Nigeria has completely broken down, making some people to declare President Buhari incompetent. Nigerians, now live in fear and uncertainty, over the safety of their lives and properties.
It has also brought a new dimension to the hostility amongst Muslim and Christians. What has also heightened the fear of majority of Christians across the country is the impunity with which they are maimed, massacred and kidnapped.
The gory murder of the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Michika, one of the local governments in Adamawa, over ransoms, has now made the Christians and other allied associations to cry out that enough is enough and to cast aspersions on the Federal government, for its alleged failure to act or apprehend the culprits over the years that they have been experiencing the dastardly acts, which they further alleged have become very rampant since the present government came into power
The killing of the Rev Lawan Andimi CAN chairman by Boko Haram in Adawawa has been described as the worst any human being can do to his fellow human being.
The Rev was abducted, and a ransom of 2 million pounds was demanded for his release. It was said that the Boko Haram militia beheaded him after rejecting the 50 million Naira which they struggled to raise..
Bishop Steven Dani Manza in Adamawa state who broke the news, said Rev Andini in their captivity pleaded but the militia insisted on 2million pounds, which they could not raise and beheaded him along with a Nigerian soldier.
What Nigerians described as pathetic has been generating series of reactions as a result the arrogance and disdain with which the militants operate. They then, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to do something, as Christians are now becoming constant victims of these so called fundamentalists and terror groups.
The killing of Rev Andimi was just one out the severals that had taken place, since the insurgency of Boko Haram and other militants sprang up in the North particularly the North East which is rampant with terrorism than other Parts.
Initially the targets of the Islamic Militia was at Christians because of their believe that the Western Education which they were against, was brought by Christians.
Later their attention was shifted to others as they needed resources to maintain their operations. That was when their operations became free for all and for ransom not minding who they pick or abducted
As at now, Nigeria is witnessing different insurgent groups Such as the Shekau, the first to emerge, the Banawi, Ansura backed by AlQuada, AQina while the latest and the most notorious is the Islamic State Sub sahara, called Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) which claimed that they would continue to behead captives, especially Christians, to retaliate any killings of their members and leaders in any part of the world.
Since the insurgency started in Nigeria and coupled with religious crisis across the country, the security in Nigeria has c become serious concern to both the government and the governed
What made the situation worse had been incessant communal clashes over land and water ways between the Fulanis and the natives.
.It was observed that religious polarisation has taken its root in Nigeria and that it is a serious problem. Sometimes killing Christians where they are in large numbers often lead to ethnic conflicts which drastically affects the economy of the country.
The killings across the country has now put Nigeria on the human rights watch and a very big dent on the present government of president Buhari.
The open door President, David Curry had said that despite years of promises from Nigerian government, Boko Haram and and Fulani militants continue to kill and massacre Nigerians particularly Christians which has made Nigeria terror state for foreigners.
Though the .motives of attacks were not known, there were notions that the terror groups intend to Islamise Nigeria, while the Fulni Jihadists intend to take the whole of Nigeria as their entire territory.
There is even the fear now that the sudden explosion of Fulani related violence, now threatening the existence of other ethnic nationalities and distrust among them as well.
The killings and insecurity have spread to other parts, the south west and the South East as well as the the South South, with the killings in Enugun Delta Anambra, Ondo Ekiti, and Osun States, with the latest in Ogun and Oyo States.
The security lapses has made Nigerians to cry out for the replacement of all the service chiefs which they said have outlived their usefulness. Some people even described them as not competent and tired officers.
Although the service chiefs should have been retired, President Buhari retained them under the excuse that based on his experience as a governor, minister ,Miliary commander , former Head of state and now the president, it is not good to tamper with service chiefs and security heads in time of emergency. He argued that though their performance may not be satisfactory or disappointing, he accepted responsibility for their actions
President Buhari’s statement angered Nigerians especially legislators and some top retired Military officers, who declared that the mere fact that the president accepted their incompetence in handling security challenges, the more reason he should have done away with them. They argued that if they were not kept for sinister motives or an agenda known alone to him, there was no point keeping them.
The Senate and the house of Representatives were united that the service chiefs should go because the security condition of Nigeria was getting worse by the day.
The formation of different security outfits in the country like Amotekun in the South west, the clamouring for similar ones in other parts of the country and a new one to replicate Amotekun in the North called Shege-ka-Fasa by coalition of Northern group (CNG) has been a pointer to the fact that insecurity and the ability of different groups to defend themselves with their own security workable apparatus, has shown Nigeria as a failed state and now on the verge of turning apart.
The speaker of the house of representatives Hon Femi Gbajabiamila and the Senate President Ahmed Lawan agreed that the security system has collapsed and something very drastic should now be done to put things straight. They both agreed that there was time to change the service chiefs and others at the head of the country’s security agencies to give room for more vibrant officers who would be able to drive the security of Nigeria.
In his own reaction chief Bode George said the service chiefs should go and that President Buhari should not have retained them since they ought to have been retired. He then called on the president to remove them immediately, saying that any money received for being kept in office when they ought to have been retired should be refunded to the treasury of the government.
In his own reaction. Former chairman of the house of Reps committee on Defence Hon WOLE Oke said the service chiefs should be removed because they have failed the nation. He said that the security of the country has gone do bad that It has affected economy and investment prospects of Nigeria because investors can no come since our security has broken down. .
The Bishop of Eccelestical province Church of Nigerian Anglican Communion, Most Reverend Emmanuel Chukwuma raised alarm over insecurity in Nigeria and the killings if Christians saying that the security challenges have threatened the coexistence of Nigerians and that President Buhari should do something fast
In his reaction, Chairman of CAN in Kaduna Rev. Joseph Hayab Chirma said Christians are no longer safe and chided the security operatives in Nigeria for negligence.
While reacting to all the killings the Special Adviser to CAN President, Bayo Oladeji said that discrimination against Christians can lead to another civil war which Nigeria cannot survive.
He backed the US Secretary of States Mike Pompeo for including Nigeria among nations backing religious persecution.
> He cited cases of Leah Sharibu, saying that several solutions had been proffered to the Nigerian Federal government which were turned down. He accused Buhari of political preference to government appointments to some parts of the country and Muslims from that axis too. .
He pointed out that killings of Christians in Kaduna, Benue, Plateau, Adamawa and Taraba states could not have gone unnoticed by the government.
Also the National Director of CAN Legal and Public Affairs Samuel Kwamkur chided the Chief Justice of Nigeria, for advocating that the language of instruction in sharia law be Arabic., saying that it was a reckless statement from a public officer, a jurist and head of Nigeria’s Judiciary
Meanwhile the Sultan of Sokoto Sa’ad , Abubakar while reacting to the U S recent listing of Nigeria has one of the nation persecuting Christians at tge 7th Annual Islamic vacation course by MISS Bayero University Kano claimed that it was false and partial for anyone to say all the criminal acts were carried out by Fulani herds men saying that not all Fulanis are Muslims that there are Fulani Christians too. Hr said the claim of CAN was not correct because if such ever exists at all it would have been brought to the Inter faith Forum of Christians and Muslims leaders meeting to discuss issues to promote harmonious coexistence between the two religions
Nigerians have however reacted on social media on why former presidents Olusegun Obassnjo and Good lurk Jonathan were invited to the world leaders 2020 international council summit for Peace and the exclusion of President Buhari.
They linked the action of the body to the insecurity in Nigeria. Some also claimed that Obasanjo and Jonathan were invited to Seoul South Korea because they were regarded as leaders and not rulers like Buhari whom they described as a ruler and dictator in civilian robe.
It was also said that the insecurity in Nigeria and the allegations that Nigerian government was issuing Pass ports to terrorists was why the US government ban Nigerians from coming to their country.
- Culled From Hallmarknews
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