By Christie Doyin
To say I’m sad is an understatement and saying the obvious of what most Nigerians feel now. I mean, I’m just not sad, but my heart bleeds not just for the farmers slaughtered, or the everyday massacre and kidnapping of Nigerians but I weep for Nigeria and all Nigerians living and still going through all these, in fear as well as in hopelessness.
I don’t seem to understand all the explanations being forwarded everyday by our governments, especially the Federal Government, which doesn’t seem to have anything to say or any solution to proffer concerning matters of insecurity and acts of terrorism.
Many Nigerians have been killed by Boko Haram terrorists and others like them, including Fulani herdsmen terrorists. For all these, the Federal Government kept churning out statements on its quest to counter, subdue and cleanse the country of all terrorists and other criminal acts. It often churns out statistics of the Boko Haram insurgents allegedly killed.
Going back to the massacred farmers, whose only crime was to go to farm for their livelihood so that hunger will not ‘massacre’ them. These are apart from several others who were butchered because of their faith or for travelling when the terrorists cum kidnappers were thirsty for blood or finances. Others were being killed daily for belonging to one ethnic group or the other while some are killed or kidnapped daily for undisclosed reasons by one or all of different groups of terrorists.
What brought my spirit low this bad was the comment of the Presidency through its spokesperson, Garba Shehu at a time when mourning of those dead was at high point. I mean it’s really sad that our President’s spokesman, Garba Shehu would come out to say during an interview with BBC last Monday that the slain Borno farmers did not get clearance to work on their rice fields. The report read in part, “The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, has said that the Zabarmari massacre could have been avoided, as the 43 farmers killed by Boko Haram on Saturday did not have military clearance to be on the rice farms when the attack happened.
Mo gbe o! Is this a government? Loss of a life in any situation is reason for grief and mourning, killing a soul unjustly is a stronger reason for sorrow and here, we’re talking of more than 43 massacred at a swoop and as usual, many women and children captured and abducted to ‘unknown destinations’ and all that could come out from the Presidency is that they did not take clearance or approval. For crying out loud, is that saying that they were guilty and deserved to die? Really, I need some enlightenment.To say the truth, today and each day, being alive, free from kidnappers and terrorists is a miracle in this country that seems to lack all forms of security. I still believe even the people supposedly securing the country are under siege and helpless and more exposed to dangers without provision of necessary and adequate equipment to defend the country than others. I pity them and their families because going about now in uniform or any form of identification with the security agencies make them prone to being killed or abducted just as we had with some military men who were allegedly killed by unknown armed men and the policemen kidnapped for ransom.
It is no surprise that governors have come out to say that the Borno massacre has put questions to national security architecture. I think the governors are beginning to see reasons. The security situation is so bad that it belied all the claims by the military and presidency that insurgency is reducing and terrorists are been decimated.
There was a recent claim that troops of Operation Thunder Strike under the auspices of the ongoing Operation Accord recently foiled an attempted kidnap of passengers, among many others on the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway by armed bandits as disclosed by the Kaduna State commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, in a statement on Friday, while also noting that most of the bandits escaped with bullet wounds. Uhmmmm. Those are the kind of stories we hear each day!
Just last weekend, a Nigerian activist, Aisha Yesufu, reportedly berated President Muhammadu Buhari over the appalling security situation of the country as she described him as having zero use.
Yesufu last week Sunday, while reacting to the killing of no less than 43 farmers by Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State in a series of tweets, said Buhari’s only achievement was to keep Nigerians down.
She called on all Nigerians to unite and fight so that they do not become next victims of the President’s incompetence.
She said, “Human beings like us are being killed. They will kill us too when they are done with them. South or North, no one is spared. Can we stop categorising deaths into South and North? Nigerians are being killed and it is not okay”. “Death does not ask if you are North or South”, she noted.
There was also the report stating that the Senator representing Borno South Senatorial District, Ali Ndume, that he has realised the value and landmark former President, Goodluck Jonathan left in Nigeria and its political landscape after his tenure in office in 2015. He was reported to have noted his regrets for criticising former President Jonathan on matters of insecurity in the country.
Well, that is neither here or there. Everyone has his own approach.
We can go on and on but the fact is that nowhere in Nigeria is safe. North to South, East to West, all have been infiltrated by Boko Haram terrorists and killer herdsmen and there seems to be no safe haven anywhere. Many citizens have come out to lend voice to solving issues of insecurity in Nigeria. The Governor of Borno State, Prof Babagana Umara Zulum has also suggested hiring mercenaries from other countries to fight terrorism in Nigeria. Though he might have said it out of frustration, I don’t think it is reasonable to do so as that also could lead to a more volatile situation in future.
Governors of Taraba, Ishaku Darius, Adamawa, Ahmadu Fitiri, Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed and Gombe State, Mohammed Inuwa Yahaya on sympathy visit to Borno state, declared support for Governor Zulum’s request that the Federal Government reengages mercenaries to join the Nigerian armed forces in the fight against Boko Haram insurgents.
Speaking on behalf of other governors, Darius said, “Our dear brother, we are here to condole you over the killing of farmers by Boko Haram insurgents. We are indeed saddened and traumatised. I will key into your request, which you said that the Federal Government should invite some mercenaries to come and help us out of this problem, because what you can’t do, what you can’t solve, I think we should invite who can solve it for us. We cannot continuously be mourning, there has to be a time to stop the mourning.
The question now is who will help secure our country? We are helpless because our military and other security agents are helpless. Is Nigeria help coming in 2023 or do we forget there was a country called Nigeria? My heart sure bleeds!
*Doyin writes from Ilorin via e-mail: cdyoin@yahoo.com
