From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) has faulted the Federal Government’s approach to the fight against insecurity querying how attacks by bandits and terrorists have continued unabated in parts of the country despite huge budgetary allocations and deployment of military arsenal.
While condemning the government for always giving excuses each time there was an attack leading to loss of lives of citizens, the umbrella body of Muslims in Nigeria, claimed that bandits and terrorists had become bolder and more belligerent by the day without any fear of being confronted or apprehended by security operatives.
“They operate in any area of their choice(s) at any time they so wish. They even operate for up to eight hours non-stop as it was reported to have happened in Niger State last Monday, without any fear of being confronted or apprehended. Most communities are now under the bandits’ absolute control with taxes being paid to bandits–some parts of Borno, Katsina, Zamfara, Niger, Sokoto states and some others yet to be disclosed to the public. In fact, terrorists do what they wish knowing that there is no gun power or authority that will defy them.”
The group in a statement by its Secretary General, Dr. Khalid Aliyu, yesterday, also accused government of not being proactive in its approach to the insurgency war.
“It is also the firm belief of most Nigerians that government is expected to know the enclaves and hideouts of these criminals, particularly that only government has absolute control and use of force, and by extension it also has machineries to generate genuine information.
“Again, why can’t the government proactively take the battle to the criminals’ hideouts and wipe them off? Why should the government wait until people are attacked, lives and property lost for them to strike and be issuing empty orders and usual condemnation? The whys are endless? It is high time the security outfits are directed to ransack the enclaves of all criminal elements and deal with them decisively. Informants should not be spared, as they are more dangerous than the killers. They should be made to face the right punishment befitting their crime. The intelligence community should beef-up their efforts in trying to dig to the root of this phenomena.”
The group said there were several questions regarding insecurity in the country that the Federal Government needed to provide answers to so citizens would know if they are committed to finding solutions to endless bloodletting in the nation or not.
“With all the reported resources allocated to relevant security agencies, intelligent gathering mechanism, military arsenal and tact, can’t the government provide any convincing justification on why the security situation in the country continue to deteriorate? Why are attacks experienced all over the place and continuing unabated without any deterrence? Moreover, why must security budget and expenditure remain so secretive, despite the reported release of fund? The mind boggling train attack of Monday 28th March, 2022, the kidnap and sporadic shootings that ensued thereafter the train en-route Kaduna needs to be seriously investigated and punitive measures taken.”
The group, however, commended the security personnel who exhibited capacity, resilience, determination and dexterity during the rescue operation of the same ill-fated train attack.
“To say the least Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) is agonised and short of words to express herself over the gory incident of the infamous train attack which happened on Monday, 28th March, 2022. The well-orchestrated incident remains highly condemnable, reprehensible and upsetting to every rational mind. It appears that the continuous callous acts of mayhem, killings and arson happening almost on daily or weekly bases around us, either within communities and/or on the roads we ply, has automatically reset our human psyche that we now have accepted such dastardly acts as part of our lives, to the extent that we no longer feel it.
“It should be noted that in Islam and by all global standards, the essence of Government and Governance is solely to protect the five principal cardinal rights of the human race, the most important of which is life! Any government that is incapable of protecting the lives of its citizens has lost the moral justification of being there in the first place; this is enunciated in section 33(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria…
“Therefore, this press release is premised on the fact that Nigeria is more or less heading to an unknown destination of multiple cum well-coordinated serial chaos attributable to lack of coordination and synergy from security personnel, if the news making the round is to be believed. Nevertheless, history is replete of several astonishing and bravery art of governance exhibited overtime by leaders. For instance, during the time of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), he battled and expelled Banu Qaynuqa from the city Madinah, because a woman was molested in the market by one of them and the community supported his actions. The Prophet (SAW) did not waste time but promptly attacked Banu Qaynuqa and expelled them. This served as deterrence to others with evil intentions.
“In the Nigeria of today, how many wives are raped daily in the presence of their husbands, mothers in the presence of their sons? How many daughters are raped in the presence of their fathers and sisters in the presence of their brothers? This happens a lot, and it is well known. What action did the authorities take in averting and/or to remedying such absurd and ungodly happenstance? Why must the country be brought to kneel?
“Human life is held sacrosanct in Islam that is why Allah (SWT) declared in the Glorious Quran that if a single soul is killed without just cause, then it is as if the entire humanity is wiped off the face of the earth. We claim to be people of faith and all these occurrences are allowed without any form of prompt intervention. Why?”