With the recent killing of 22 people in Jos, Plateau State, and 18 others in Katsina State, it can be safely argued that Nigeria is fast assuming the status of a killing field and failed state. One of the markers of a failed state is the inability of the government to protect life and property, which, according the 1999 Nigerian constitution (as amended), is the primary function of government. The possession of sophisticated arms and brazen attacks on Nigerians by non-state actors must be checked by the government before the situation degenerates.
Undoubtedly, the Katsina killings must have prompted Governor Aminu Bello Masari to urge the citizens to defend themselves. Some other prominent Nigerians have similar statements. Also, not less than 16 people were killed and some houses burnt in Ungwan Dooh (Mado) village, Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State by gunmen.
The victims of the Jos incident attended a religious event in Bauchi State but met their untimely death in Jos while on their way to Ondo State following the attack by some youths along Rakubu road in Jos North Local Government Area. About 21 of the passengers were rescued by the police while six arrests were made.
The Jos incident might have made some state governments (Ogun, Abia, Kaduna and Delta) to evacuate their stranded students from the University of Jos (UNIJOS) for fear that the killings may escalate. Already, the UNIJOS authorities have suspended the second semester examination due to the killings. Although President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the arrest of those behind the Jos killings, we believe that tackling the nation’s rising insecurity must go beyond such orders. Government must begin to interrogate why there is so much insecurity in the land and begin to address the causes instead of treating the symptoms of the crisis. The recurring bloodbath in the country is unacceptable and must be curtailed without further delay.
The mindless killing of innocent Nigerians is heinous and reprehensible. It is unfortunate that the country has become one huge killing range for bandits, terrorists and other criminal elements. The dastard killing of Nigerians on a daily basis has confirmed the government’s failure to protect the life and property of Nigerians. Such gruesome attacks on Nigerians in their own country have shown that the nation’s insecurity is increasingly getting worse.
Sadly, the once serene and peaceful ambience of Jos City, famous for its tourism, has been violated by another bloodbath. The Jos killing came on the heels of the recent herders/farmers clash in Jos North Local Government Area, which claimed over 117 lives, destroyed scores of houses and property, and displaced thousands of people. However, the Jos crisis worsened on Tuesday when bandits killed 35 people in Yelwa Zangam community. Following the incident, Governor Simon Lalong imposed 24-hour curfew in Jos metropolis to stem the bloodbath in Plateau State. The Jos incident and others in other parts of the country must be thoroughly investigated and the culprits apprehended and tried. We applaud the arrest of some of those behind the Jos mayhem and urge the police to arrest those that killed 18 people in Katsina State and bring them to book.
We think that the unrelenting bloodshed in Jos and other parts of the country has continued because the security agencies are seemingly not doing enough to nip them in the bud. It is sad that when such incidents occur, little or nothing is done by the police to arrest and prosecute the culprits. Without being apprehended and prosecuted, the criminal elements are emboldened to do more.
We recognise that the security agencies, especially the police and even the army, have been overstretched. Moreover, the effectiveness of the Nigeria Police Force to check rising criminality has been critically undermined by poor funding, dwindling numerical strength and inadequate equipment. In most cases, the criminals are better equipped than our security agents. This, it is believed, has emboldened and encouraged more increase in violent crimes.
We urge the government to strengthen the police and give them the necessary support to fearlessly discharge their duties. The government should upgrade the police facilities and put forth measures that will uplift the morale of the men and officers of the force. It is really time for the Federal Government to introduce new strategies to deal with threatening insecurity and incessant killings across the country.