Those courageous citizens in Zamfara

LEFT to their own devices, Nigerians have often had to deal with terrorists without any form of protection. In a countless number of cases, they have been literally butchered by the outlaws who feast on the docility and inaction of the State to carry out the most horrendous crimes. As a pointer to the helplessness of the populace in the face of criminal abdication of duty by the political leadership, farmlands, the source of the country’s sustenance, have been turned into killing fields by the outlaws who control vast swathes of territory. In a few instances, though, citizens provoked by their sheer brutality have responded with rage, putting their lives on the line. That was the case in Zamfara State recently. In a courageous act, the family of a bride-to-be and a group of passengers thwarted a kidnapping attempt. The incident reportedly unfolded when the family and other travellers were ambushed by terrorists euphemistically dubbed bandits on the Talata Mafara-Gusau highway. The family had embarked on a journey to purchase clothing and other wedding materials in Kano, Kano State, but things took a harrowing turn when the terrorists struck.

Said an eyewitness: “A few kilometres away from the Fangal Tama checkpoint, the travellers heard gunshots echoing all around. To their shock, they encountered two well-armed bandits on motorcycles, blocking the road and halting vehicles. The bandits immediately ordered the young woman (the bride-to-be), her father, mother, and two other relatives to exit their car. With guns pointed at them, the terrified family members were coerced to follow the bandits into the nearby forest. Realising the grave danger they faced in forced abduction, the passengers decided to act swiftly. They rallied together and launched an attack on one of the two bandits. In a fierce struggle, they managed to overpower him, resulting in his instant death. The other bandit, however, escaped, leaving behind his firearm. The courageous group retrieved the two guns and emerged from the forest. They promptly handed the weapons over to the military at a nearby checkpoint.” Sadly, one of the passengers suffered a heart attack following the traumatic experience and later died in hospital.

No doubt, this is a soul-lifting event. It cannot but be cheery news that a group of felons terrorising innocent and law-abiding citizens got a taste of their own medicine.  All too often, these criminals act like drunken demigods because the State has allowed their lawless activities to fester for far too long. They inflict pain on innocent citizens, robbing, raping and literally mutilating them. Thousands have been killed and thousands grievously wounded and left with permanent disability. It is indeed a horrifying state of affairs. In this regard, we salute the courage of the noble citizens who took on terrorists in Zamfara State. Had they not retaliated, they would have been treated like the large number of their compatriots who were slaughtered or burnt alive. In many cases, brides and grooms have been kidnapped and butchered, and the present case could have presented yet another example of such tragedy. The terrorists’ cruelty knows no bounds. There have been cases where they cut their victims with swords, threatening to wipe them out if their families delayed in providing ransom money. Indeed, there is a reported instance during which these heartless criminals fed the twin babies born by a woman in their captivity to their dogs, causing the distraught mother to develop mental disease. We are heartened by the fact that the courageous citizens in the story under reference fought back with boldness and delivered themselves from the clutches of the blood-sucking criminals.

If anything, this story shows that the terrorists in the land have only been enjoying the power of the arms in their possession, firm in the knowledge that their victims have no access to means of self-protection. They would certainly not dare to pull off their accustomed stunts in a terrain like the United States, for instance. They would be dead even before realising what hit them. If the citizenry were better protected, the terrorists would not have become so powerful.  That is clear. Ultimately, though, it is the state that should protect the people. And that is why, noble as their efforts were, we cannot commend the example of the Zamfara family and bus passengers to Nigerians. It is foolhardy to expect citizens to confront terrorists with bare hands: that is a recipe for death and destruction. The government must rise up to its responsibilities. We urge the Federal Government to equip the security agencies with the resources that they need to deliver on their mandate. We also call on the government to fast-track the establishment of state police and fight insecurity to a standstill. It is a no-brainer that a culturally and linguistically complex and heterogeneous  society like Nigeria cannot be policed centrally. The security architecture must be decentralised to reflect Nigeria’s diversity. The government must act without delay.

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