It’s no news that the New Year celebration turned tragic in different parts of the country. From Rivers to Kaduna to Benue states, the mournful atmosphere was palpable. The deaths were gory and the pain deep. Many families have been torn apart, stopped from working through their dreams of a new year. While other Nigerians celebrated the year a new, which is a symbol of hope around the world, but it was a pang of misery that descended on these states. And for Nigerians, the shock is yet to wear off. It is as if the devil was released on the last day of 2017 to cause active gnashing of teeth around the country.
In Rivers State, gunmen opened fire indiscriminately at people returning from the church in the early hours of Monday where they had gone to usher in the New Year. The incident occurred at Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni (ONELGA) Local Government Area of the state. The police spokesperson in the state, Omoni Nnamdi, who confirmed the incident to news men, said it was difficult for the police to give the exact number of people killed in the shooting.
“We can only confirm the incident, but we can’t confirm the number of casualties. We are still working on that because some people were taken to the hospital and some of them are recuperating,” said Mr. Nnamdi, a deputy superintendent of police. That was at the height of the confusion. Not only did the number rise, more people have been killed around the same area since that incident. However, Director General of the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Administration, NIMASA, Mr. Peterside, said that cultism and cult-related killing thrived in the area because of the backing from powerful politicians.
“My heart goes to the people of ONELGA and the immediate families of the deceased. This is an act that must be condemned. The good people of Omoku have suffered enough and this has dealt a further blow on their sufferings,” he said, adding that the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, lacked the capacity to tackle the state’s security challenge. I have said it time and again that Governor Wike lacks the capacity and competence to guarantee the safety and security of Rivers people. It is unfortunate that over 1,000 persons have been killed in questionable circumstances in the last two years under his watch. He should stop playing politics with the lives of Rivers people and face governance”, Mr. Peteterside said.
Beyond playing politics with the security situation is Rivers state, it is important that matters of this nature are taken seriously and politicians tread carefully. The matter in Rivers is beyond pointing partisan fingers. The Federal Government who Mr. Peterside works for is directly incharge of security. This is not by any means excusing the significance of a state governor. Both Wike and The Federal Government have not discharged their roles creditably since the past two years. Rivers people have suffered terrible consequences as a result of lack of strategies to tackle the menace of cultists. These cultists are also armed robbers, kidnappers and economic saboteurs also known as militants.
On the other hand, the killings, if not butchering which took place in Benue cannot be said to have been by cultists. Most sources point to herdsmen. And the deaths have been chilling at best, barbaric at worst. It has been a terrible and trying time in Benue. The peace of farming communities have been derailed, the people live in fear and in some cases have been forced to migrate. Deaths are the only news we hear from Benue these days. This used to be the food basket of the country. The state has been reduced to the burial ground of the country. And it sure seems nobody has the antidote.
As typical of this presidency, there was an initial indifference. Then as the bitterness of the people grew they began to respond. Problem is that this is not the first time. So we thought that there must have been records of measures to stem attacks like we have witnessed in Benue recently. It is so annoying that we no longer talk about damaged farmlands, we now talk about death of villagers in their sleep. We now see homes set on fire. This Benue massacres are no longer “farmers/herders clashes” Benue has become terrorism. And it is time to stop treating the matter with kid gloves.
Enough of killings! The federal and state governments must be sincere and open in finding lasting solutions to these problems. We cannot continue this primitive way of living and expect the rest of the world to take us serious. We need to find new solutions to complex problems. And all hands must be on deck.
