Northern Nigeria

By Uzair Adam Imam 

The bandits who abducted a pregnant woman in Jalingo, Taraba State, have refused to release her despite being in labour.

The Daily Reality gathered that the bandits kept demanding for ransom to release the woman.

The woman who fell into labour in captivity was said to have visited her parents for maternity leave from Kano.

However, the bandits called the father of the abducted pregnant woman and demanded immediate ransom.

It was gathered that the shooters, who targeted three houses in the area, operated for about forty minutes without any interruption.

DSP Usman Abdullahi, the police spokesperson of Taraba Command, confirmed the abduction of the pregnant woman and six others.

Banditry and kidnapping are the significant security challenges bedevilling the country over the years. 

The menacing security challenge lingers despite the threats and promises by the federal government to mitigate the issue.

By Zakariyya Shu’aib Adam 

About two months ago, I took off from Sokoto to Minna in a commercial vehicle. As usual, I wore a kaftan and sat in the front seat. Although I had my headphones on, we had some words with the driver. He never knew I was “ɗan boko” until I communicated with someone on the phone in English. He said: “Mallam, na zaci kai ma duk mu ne [I thought you were like us – uneducated].” I laughed it off and said, “Ai dole sai a na raba ƙafa [One must diversify].”

The driver told me that he knew many police officers on that way. That is why he is not frequently stopped at checkpoints. However, when we left Kontagora and before we reached Tegina, we were stopped at a checkpoint. When the police came, they greeted and cracked jokes. He asked the driver: “Babu kayanmu a motar nan [Are there our goods in the car]?” The driver said, “Eh, babu kayanku [Ye, there’s none].” I wasn’t interested in their discussion until I saw the police pointing at me, saying, “Wannan ba kayanmu ba ne [Is this not ours]?” The driver said, “A’a, wannan ɗan gari ne [No, he’s not].”

When we were allowed to pass, I asked the driver the meaning of “kaya [goods]” and why the police thought I was their “kaya [goods].” He said the police thought I was nomadic Fulani. A typical Fulani who did not attend school. Whenever a car is stopped at the checkpoint, they single out a Fulani man or woman and ask him or her to alight. They will be charged between 5k to 10k. If they fail to give, they will be framed as kidnappers or their informants. He said if only he had told the police that I was their “kaya”, I would have been made to give that amount of money.

By Allah, if it were someone that informed me of this, I wouldn’t have believed. But Wallahi, it happened to me. I was just saved by Allah, Who made the driver promptly intervene. I just can’t imagine myself refusing to give them that sum of money. I would have been left alone, and the network wasn’t friendly for calls. I would have been framed up as a kidnapper or their informant. Only Allah knows what would have happened to me. My sin was just that I am Fulani.

Indeed, there are criminals among Fulani. There are kidnappers and their informants among them as well. Many of these undesirable elements have committed heinous acts against innocent people and subjected sackless individuals to unnecessary throes and severe distress. They have successfully sacked many villages and murdered countless innocuous souls, thanks to the I-don’t-care attitude of the government. May these barbarous beasts get caught and euthanized. 

This piece is not, in any way, intended to strip them of their crimes. Even though there are bad eggs among them, there are also good ones. There are many responsible and peace-loving individuals among them. Imagine how many innocent Fulanis are stopped on a daily basis and robbed. How many of them are falsely charged as kidnappers without conviction. Some of them are even victims of the kidnapping and cattle rustling. What kind of justice is served?

This type of unjust profiling and more paved the way for these innocent people to join the malignant kidnapping infection. Many of these unethical practices and professional misconducts committed by a few greedy Ekuke parading themselves as police are not only apoptotic to the Nigeria Police Force but are also a threat to the peaceful coexistence of the country. The perpetrators of these heinous acts amongst the police must be investigated and brought to book.

Zakariyya Shu’aib Adam wrote from Sokoto.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

Four abducted female students of the College of Health Science and Technology, Tsafe in Zamfara State, regained freedom Thursday, April 14, 2022.

The Deputy Provost of the college, Jamilu Lawal, made the disclosure, adding that the students were released unhurt. 

He added that the four female students had been taken to the hospital for medical screening.

The Daily Reality learnt that no ransom was paid to the bandits for the release of the students. 

The students were reportedly abducted last Tuesday night in Tsafe town.

By Uzair Adam Imam 

The Federal Government is in dialogue with the bandits that stormed and abducted many people in the Kaduna-Abuja train attack. 

The FG was said to have granted a discussion with the bandits for negotiation. 

Dr Jimoh Fatai, who has been designated as chairman of the group pressing for the release of their loved ones, made the disclosure. 

He stated that the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed while addressing the victims’ relatives, assured them that FG would save the victims.

The Daily Reality reported how bandits attacked the Kaduna-Abuja train, killed eight persons, and abducted many passengers last month.

The bandits in a video threatened to kill all the victims if the federal government refused to negotiate with them.

However, a few days after the attack, the bandits released one of the abductees, Alwan Hassan, the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture (BON).

Hassan was alleged to have paid the sum of N100 million as ransom.

By Muhammad Rabiu Jibrin (Mr J)

I write this letter to you as a Muslim brother and a citizen who is deeply concerned about the gory happenings in this country and who prays for its betterment. It is undeniable that the trying time Nigerians live is uncalled-for. It is not what the citizens prayed for when voting for their leaders. Thus, it indicts the leadership system of all the three arms of government in the country, unfortunately

Should the government have worked holistically towards curbing the menace, the situation couldn’t have been worst like this. But, would the inferno ignite due to our leaders’ carefree attitudes, which seem to have been politicising virtually everything, be left consuming the spirit and the fabrics of our dear nation?

Truth be told, even a responsible and serious government can’t fight a politically created conflagration of multiple fronts alone, let alone a government with a lackadaisical attitude. Therefore, as Muslims of the ravaging county, we all have a role to play individually or collectively.

As we observe this blessed month of Ramadan, which has the best nights therein and in which the glorious Qur’an was revealed, we need to cry hard for God, the Almighty, to come to the rescue of our nation.

We must look inward and outward and return to God, the Most Merciful, the Most Powerful, the Compassionate and the Absolute Compeller. We should desist from committing sins and repent from our misdeeds. We should give to charities, recite the glorious Qur’an, supplicate and intensify prayers to God to see to the end of this mess.

Religious scholars should use their influence during tafsir, and Imams during their Juma’a sermons should pray immensely on this matter. Let Him choose for us the rightful leaders of all cadres. Let God the Almighty leave us not with our wisdom and selfish wishes and choices.

We can’t fold our hands, legs crossed, witnessing the downfall of this country under the watch of our leaders whom we entrusted but failed us. So let us all wake up from our slumbers and do the needful at the right time.

May we be governed by leaders who love us more than how we love them, leaders who prioritise our societies’ interests over their interests, leaders who think about giving their leadership account on the Day of Reckoning, amin.

Muhammad Rabiu Jibrin (Mr J) wrote from Gombe via muhammadrabiujibrin@gmail.com.

By Abdulhaleem Ishaq Ringim

The Abuja-Kaduna train attack has finally halted the speculations regarding Boko-Haram’s expansionism into North-West territories of Nigeria. Although warnings sounded as far back as 2-3 years ago were suggestive of the existence and operationalization of such an active expansionist agenda, it wasn’t until January 2022 that I saw what I consider the first official acknowledgement of the expansionist efforts of BH. This acknowledgement was contained in Kaduna State Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs’ annual security report wherein lies observations of escalating relationships between Boko-Haram groups and bandits.

It should be recalled that Boko-Haram ceased to exist as a single entity since 2014/2015 when factionalism befell the central entity. This factionalism yielded 3 different groups distinguishable by certain ideological and tactical contrarieties. They are; The Shekau Led Jama’atu Ahlis-Sunna Lidda’Awati Wal-Jihad (JASLWJ), The Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) supported Jama’atu Ansaril Muslimina fi Biladis Sudan (Ansaru) and The Islamic State (IS) supported Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP). And they have been fighting one another for influence and jurisdiction ever since. 

Interestingly, establishing an influential presence in North-central and North-west Nigeria has always constituted a major aspect of these groups’ grand agenda. But for years, it had proven hard for this objective to be achieved by any of the groups even after staging several operations in the 2 subregions as none of them was able to establish that desirable level of hegemonic presence and influence. 

However, among the three groups, Ansaru remains the most influential in the North-west even though it is thought to have hibernated after the face-off that ensued from the factionalism. Terror watch reports suggest that while in hibernation, Ansaru embarked on a strategic recruitment exercise targeting NW’s most dominant non-ideological criminal groups – the bandits – through infiltration, training, tactical assimilation and arms supply. Apart from Ansaru, Shekau-led JAS through some commanders(like Adamu Bitri before he defected to ISWAP and eventually died) also established and maintained contact and relationship with leaders of some bandit groups. 

Last year, Nigeria’s terror network experienced heightened volatility due to the escalation of the conflagration between the two major terrorist organizations —the Shekau-led Jama’tu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) and Al-Barnawi-led Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) — operating in the North-east and Lake-chad basin. This resulted in the death of Abubakar Shekau by suicide which sparked serious disarray within the network and rendered the JAS somewhat defenceless. 

Consequently, ISWAP issued an ultimatum to all JAS commanders and fighters to either defect to ISWAP and pledge allegiance to Al-Barnawi or vacate all former JAS territories which now fell under their control. Some commanders and fighters complied and defected while many others surrendered to the Nigerian Army with the aim of becoming beneficiaries of the Nigerian government’s amnesty program(Operation Safe Corridor). The third group of JAS commanders and fighters who neither defected nor surrendered to the Nigerian army were thought to have migrated to NW to forge alliances with bandit groups. 

By implication, the above-stated events suggest that while Ansaru continues to remain the closest to NW bandits, ISWAP and former JAS fighters might have also re-ignited links with bandit groups in the NW. While ISWAP might have taken over control of the vast network of bandit groups that were formerly affiliated to Shekau-led JAS due to the carpet-crossing of JAS commanders (some of whom are the keepers of the link between JAS and the bandit gangs in the North-West just as Adamu Bitri) to the ISWAP side, JAS fighters that refused to surrender to both ISWAP and the Nigerian Army might, however, have also migrated to NW to forge alliances with bandits and escape ISWAP’s wrath. 

Now, the changing dynamics, improved weaponry and renewed offensive tactics seen in recent attacks thought to be staged by bandits are testimonials to an improved alliance between Bandits and members of BH groups. These attacks carry BH signatures all over from attacks on public infrastructure (as in the case of the two train attacks) to attacks on military formations (e.g NDA and the Birnin Gwari Army Forward Operational Base) and the efficient use of IEDs for offensive have increased in frequency in NW states. The recent videotape that was released in the aftermath of the release of the Bank of Agriculture’s MD also signals this unholy alliance. 

At this pace, North-west Nigeria is on the verge of becoming a deadlier terror zone than the North-East ever was. This is because we are dealing with two groups with complementary terror/criminal expertise synergy which holds the potential for the establishment of the most sophisticated terror network Nigeria has ever seen. The bandits indubitably boast of an unmatched knowledge of the local terrain and geography of North-west’s forests and other ungoverned spaces while BH groups, be it Ansaru or ISWAP, boast of a very deadly extremist-ideological core with a sophisticated array of terror-based expertise and affiliation to global terror networks through Islamic State(IS) African subsidiaries(for ISWAP) and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) (for Ansaru) that allows them access to global terror resources and funding.

The bandits also have numbers sourced from a rich population of child soldiers. Their numerical preponderance, nonideological-cum-uneducated nature and relatively young base makes them extremely vulnerable to indoctrination and a suitable source for terror manpower. Sadly, the use of child soldiers for terror activities is attributed to both ISWAP and Ansaru, but ISWAP has gone further to institutionalize child recruitment and indoctrination using international terror recruitment standards. Hence, ISWAP might leverage this rich child-soldier manpower source opportunity more effectively. 

As I write this piece, I must confess to experiencing the oscillation of an overwhelming shockwave of fear that has been travelling through the deepest core of my body since I discovered ISWAP’s new recruitment and indoctrination strategy through open-source terror watch networks. And here is why:

The largest bandit-manpower source is predominantly the forsaken, uncivilized and uneducated population of forest-based Fulani. Several testimonies from victims of kidnapping further affirm that the bandits are mostly young boys aged 14-18. They have been adjudged to be tremendous in terms of population and now BH groups (ISWAP, ANSARU, fmr JAS) have infiltrated the vast bandit network due to the government’s avoidable mismanagement of the entire situation which metamorphosed from the farmer-herder crisis. Unfortunately, the continued mismanagement of this crisis now holds the potential of further transfiguring into an implosive generation-long extremist insurgency.

ISWAP has instituted a new recruitment and indoctrination initiative. This initiative aimed at recruiting an army they term “The Empowerment Generation” focuses on training and indoctrinating children aged 8-16 as seen in a propaganda video released by the group. The implementation of this training and indoctrination exercise is done through the instrumentality of a well structured educational institution named “Khilafah Cadet School”. Cadets, otherwise called “Cubs of the Caliphate” are drilled in extremist Islamic education; tactical military, arms and infantry training; and Jihad and enemy execution techniques. 

This school boasts of having a well-structured curriculum consistent with global terror standards and a strict entry requirement as students have to pass entrance exams before getting admitted. The school is well-funded and resourced. The scariest aspect of the video is the scene that shows the cadets practising special force warfare tactics. In the scene, the cadets are shown entering a building in special forces style to extract enemies. The enemies used for this drill were Nigerian soldiers captured by ISWAP. After the extraction, the 3 soldiers were made to kneel and they were all shot in the head by three different child soldiers barely aged 15. The precision, the tact and the efficiency in execution are consistent with that which is usually seen in war movies. 

The “Cubs of the Caliphate” are a product of a long-term strategy envisioned by ISWAP to continue the ideologically-driven war for another generation, serving as a formidable and inexhaustible manpower source for the terrorist army. As I watched that video, I reflected with fear on the young bandit population in the NW and the possibility that most of them might end up getting admitted into such kinds of indoctrination programs as a result of the strategic alliance between bandits and these terror groups. I could not help but weep at this gruesome picture of the future, asking what if Boko-Haram groups succeed in assimilating a major section of the young bandit population operating in this part of the country? 
The catastrophe that would result from this scenario is indescribable. Nigeria has managed to mismanage every security situation that it had ever faced. But we cannot afford to continue mismanaging this crisis for the future looks gruesome unless a de-escalation happens. But how do we tame this menace? 

The only security situations in Nigeria that the government had been able to manage to an extent are those that benefitted from robust dialogue and amnesty programs. And the closest we got to destroying insurgency through the use of brute force was when mercenaries were hired to fight Boko-Haram in 2015. But just like dialogue, the implementation of completely annihilating military offensives is as well another efficient option in countering terrorism and insurgency. But in Nigeria’s context, this method carries the smell of impossibility all over it. In fact, brute force clearly constitutes precedential failures in the fight against terror and insurgency in Nigeria.

The highest level of brute force(since the completely annihilating one has so far been simply unachievable) we have been able to exert could not tame Niger-Delta Militancy, it hasn’t been able to crush Boko-Haram for almost two decades now. And it is yet again proving inefficient in the fight against bandit-terrorists even before the infiltration of the very tactical and well-resourced Boko-Haram groups. 

We are left with two options; the Gumi option of dialogue and strategic engagement with stakeholders in the affairs of these bandits with the aim of securing a ceasefire and ultimately, surrendering of arms in exchange for amnesty and redress(before they completely get assimilated into the ideological war BH groups are fighting) or the Elrufai solution of engaging the services of mercenaries to perform a sweeping operation targeting all forests and hamlets harbouring these bandit-terrorists and their BH affiliates since the implementation of such method by our military seems impossible. 

Principally, the fundamental responsibility of every government is to safeguard the lives and properties of its citizens. Nigeria’s government under President Buhari has failed in that responsibility but we can no longer tolerate this failure for it holds the potential of consuming us and the country at large. Nigerians must rise up and demand an end to this barbarism NOW! 

Abdulhaleem Ishaq Ringim is a political/public affairs analyst. He writes from Zaria and can be reached through haleemabdul1999@gmail.com.

By Abdulsalam Alkali

Almajiranci is an informal educational system that is predominantly practised in Northern Nigeria. Almajirai are teenagers ages 4-17 who are sent away from their dwelling by their respective parents to seek Islamic knowledge, a source for sustenance and clothe themselves by begging for alms from people.

The Almajiri system has produced prime leading Islamic intellectuals in Northern Nigeria. Still, along the cord, the system has been altered with the rise in population, making it a system that makes children of tender age susceptible to danger.

It’s awful how Almajirai are abandoned to cater for themselves even though parents should be responsible for their children’s needs and provide them with education. Sadly, parents choose to neglect their responsibility towards their children and abandon them at the early phase of their lives. This is unfair and should be tackled; else, it will erode our societal values.

Numerous discussions and symposia have been held on the predicaments of the Almajirai and how to reform the system. But it is all an exercise in futility because there has been practically no action to stem the tide.

The government, civil society organisations and traditional leaders have a role to play. First, the government should enact legislation prohibiting parents from taking their children to the Almajiri school. In addition, the government should make primary and secondary school free and compulsory so that poor and vulnerable parents can send their children to both formal and informal schools for our society’s good.

Abdulsalam Alkali writes in Maiduguri, Borno State, via abdulsalamyusufalkali71@gmail.com.

By Musa Kalim Gambo

Before this kidnapping, banditry, and terrorism got to this scary stage, I consider(ed) Giwa my favourite and adopted Local Government in Kaduna State. This is a place where I have the largest number of friends in Kaduna State; many of these friends have come to assume the status of brothers to me. Not long ago, I visited Giwa frequently, almost weekly.

Now all things have changed. Giwa has become an epicentre of kidnapping and terror attacks on innocent individuals. Criminals attack people at home and on their farms; kill and abduct for a huge ransom. In the past few weeks alone, the rate of this criminality has intensified geometrically. Due to this tragic development, some villagers have been forcefully displaced. They have had to migrate to the Giwa town, which is relatively safer than their communities. About 3,000 of these displaced persons now take refuge in camps in Giwa town, Marabar Yakawada, and Yakawada. While a large number of the displaced persons have also moved to stay with their relatives in neighbouring towns of Sabon Gari and Zaria in Kaduna State and Funtua in Katsina State.

The families who have been sadly uprooted from their homes have obviously been denied access to the arable rural farmlands. Beyond the refugee crisis, this will result in an attendant shortage of food in the towns, which may eventually spill over to the rest of the country. Therefore, it is evident that life will not be easy for them in their camps and the host communities.

These refugees now have to contend with the gory reality in town, that while they run for their lives, they also definitely need food, medical attention and clothes to survive in their new temporary settlement. It has been reliably reported that the Giwa Local Government Chairman, Dr Abubakar Shehu Lawal, has made provisions for feeding them at various refugee camps in Giwa and across the Local Government. Also, Senator Uba Sani is reported to have delivered some relief items to the camps. This is indeed commendable. The local politicians have indicated a high level of commitment to responding to the plight of their people in distress.

However, all these are not enough. What is needed is a total end to this incessant spate of killings and kidnappings in Giwa. Within the week, this was one of the major issues raised on the floor of the House of Representatives by Honorable Shehu Balarabe, a member representing Giwa and Birnin Gwari federal constituency, in a motion of urgent public importance. Honourable Balarabe, in a very emotional tone conveying the gravity of the situation, highlighted the depth and dimension of the troubles and crises that these banditry, kidnapping and senseless killings have plunged his constituency in both Giwa and Birnin-Gwari. He called on the Federal government to direct all the relevant agencies to swing into action in order to address the crisis.

It is sad to note that the two Local governments that Honorable Shehu Balarabe represents at the House of Representatives are the two most dangerous places in Kaduna State in terms of banditry and kidnapping today. So it is easy to understand the difficult situation in which the Honorable finds himself as one of the voices of these people in Abuja. Birnin Gwari suffers way too much from the atrocious attacks of these bandits, and it also has its refugee crisis as well. However, I write on Giwa because of my deeper connection and access to the situation there.

So to an appreciable extent, it may well be concluded that the political leaders from Giwa are playing their roles to bring an end to this madness that has continued for too long. However, what remains is the commitment on the part of the federal government, which obviously does not seem to render any positive outcome yet. There has been a military presence in Giwa and other bandit infested communities. However, it has remained a puzzle that the criminals could still carry out attacks almost every day without any hindrance.

The month of Ramadan has just begun. While we keep calling on the governments at all levels to aid these communities in crises, it is also important for us to use this holy month to pray to Allah to provide succour and restore peace and sanity in the land. It is now evident that we should no longer pray for Allah to guide these criminals aright, no! They have unleashed an unforgivable magnitude of terror on our land. The least we can do now is pray for an eternal condemnation upon them, starting from here on earth. It should also be our point of prayer that whoever supports these criminals, in whatever way or means, from their informants’ right to the supply chain of their arms and ammunition, should face eternal perdition and body crippling afflictions here on earth before they meet their worse punishment in hell.

Finally, may Allah grant our leaders the will and ability to put in place the right measures to end these killings and kidnappings. At the same time, we should assist these displaced persons with the little we have in terms of food items and clothes; I have also seen a group of youths on Facebook led by the immediate past president of the Giwa Students Association, Nuhu Haruna mobilizing funds on Facebook to assist these displaced persons. We should contribute as much as we can.

Musa Kalim Gambo writes from Zaria and can be reached via gmkalim@hotmail.com.

By Najeeb Maigatari 

The recent attack on travellers along the Abuja-Kaduna road is shocking. The fact that those ‘terrorists’ could now detonate explosives before killing and kidnapping innocent people is damming and quite alarming. It says a lot about our security system. 

It also sends a clear message to everyone that no one is safe. We are all in this mess together; the ordinary people and the ‘elites’ alike. No transportation system is secure in the country. One could now be attacked when travelling by road, railway or even by air. 

The unfortunate train attack is not the first of its kind- and will seemingly not be the last unless the needful is done. The only difference is that this time around, unlike other attacks before, the ‘terrorists’ appear well-armed, more audacious with the hunger to kill, which shows their daunting strength. 

Those terrorists have been attacking villages and killing people, especially in the northern part of the country, where such attacks have become the order of the day. They have established themselves as an authority with several villages under their control. Some of their brutal attacks and heinous crimes are underreported in the news media. 

According to the Nigeria Security Tracker (NST), in a report published from January to February, at least 1761 people lost their lives across the country in incidents related to insecurity and protracted armed violence. 

Under our noses, our beloved country, once a nation of peace and tranquillity, is gradually turning into the likes of Somalia, Libya, and Afghanistan or worse; today’s Nigeria has become a slaughterhouse, and its citizens turned into walking corpses. 

Even worse, most of those killed are people trying to make a living for themselves and their families. People are killed in their homes, offices, markets, on roads, and virtually everywhere. It’s practically killings everywhere at every turn under every circumstance. 

It suffices to conclude at the moment that there’s seemingly the creation of ‘a state within another’. On the one hand, there’s almighty sovereign Nigeria – that continually fails to protect its citizens – and on the other hand, the hypothetical terror nation ruled by such terrorists as Boko Haram, bandits, kidnappers and the likes. 

The government is evidently failing – woefully so – in its fundamental responsibility of securing the lives of citizens, as they swore to do before taking over from the previous administration. 

Therefore all hands must now be on deck to nip in the bud this issue that threatens our existence irrespective of gender, ethnicity, religious or political affiliations. 

To begin with, the government should be bold enough to fish out and address the ultimate cause of all these crises, such as answer the question as to the genesis of the terror groups, their sponsors, financial channels, sources of arms and weaponry, contacts in the community, etc. 

In addition, such factors that tend to inflame the situation as poverty, social injustice, illiteracy, etc., should also be proactively addressed by devising measures to assuage people’s suffering and displeasure. 

Furthermore, the security forces should be well equipped with state-of-the-art weapons to take the war to the terrorists’ camp. They should also engage the public as people. If people can get trained, they can be utilized for intelligence gathering, informant tracing, reporting suspicious activities, etcetera. 

In conclusion, the people should also cooperate and work hand-in-hand with security forces and other relevant government agencies in every way legally possible in order to curtail the worsening insecurity crisis ravaging the country once and for all. 

Our lives must matter as long as we continue to call this our homeland. We should not allow those ‘terrorists’ to take over our homes and rule our lives in perpetual fear. If those in authority cannot secure our lives, they should honourably step aside and let competent individuals take over the helm of affairs in the country. Enough is enough! 

Najeeb Maigatari writes from Jigawa State and could be reached via maigatari313@gmail.com.

By Mohammed Baba Goro

God knows how hard I’ve been suppressing this uncontrollable urge to write about the damning insecurity, especially that of the bandits. Yes, our hues and heys do not matter, but the sigh that comes with someone pouring the biting grief of his heart out is a relief! Again, I wouldn’t want to get emotional in doing that, but the situation of insecurity is enough to cause any well-meaning leader to lose sleep.

I felt cold when all northern leaders could give President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) during the convention as pass mark was hearty cheers, especially the remarks by the Senate President and Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State. The governor just lost over 60 vigilantes in one ambush, alongside police officers and a DPO. Yet, it all sounded like all was well with the North and the country.

The economy, insecurity, and corruption are the hallmarks promises of this administration, yet these are the areas the regime has failed the most. Even when you try to tinker with them because of some sparsely built infrastructures – though this is typical of every administration; the high economic numbers that have dragged more people into poverty keep staring at you in the face to have a second thought.

The recent attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train reaffirms that we don’t learn a lesson. The government is inactive, and this is an outright failure of leadership that has deserted the masses on the mercies of the Almighty.

All these tell us that, on the one hand, there is a disconnection between what those in the president’s echo chamber tell him and the reality the masses face. And on the other hand, the executive inaction of its leaders. If not, their remarks to Mr President at the convention shouldn’t have been praises alone but a mixture of some honest and collective concerns about the bleeding North and the urgent need to get to grips with it. 

I hope and pray Mr President will write his name in gold, at least for his last days in office, to exterminate these destructive elements and redeem the promise of peace and security he made amidst tears to his Northern kith and kins, and for him to have a befitting retirement.

Mohammed Baba Goro writes from Mokwa in Niger State. He can be reached at: mohammedbabagoro3@gmail.com.