I write this piece because of the incessant security challenges we are having in the country. Nigeria has been engulfed by “war” in recent times, a war that looks unending as it has become a recurring decimal, waking up every day to realise that the people you were with a day before have been wiped out by bandits; either Boko Haram or Fulani herdsmen, as the case may be.
It started like a joke some years back and we were looking at it like “it’s never our thing” thereby taking it with a pinch of salt, but today, it has become so nefarious and the crimes heinous, that we are now looking for a way to propitiate the criminals but to no avail.
Our security agencies are looking increasingly exhausted and overwhelmed by the rampant nature of crimes which has gone to the crescendo, growing like an iroko tree, having many branches and the branches have become so powerful for the very fact that they can draw strength from the main tree.
The army as a collective unit, the police, the civil defence, the customs at our borders and now the local security that is being peddled by state governments; all have done their bit which looks like it is not good enough. You can even hear amongst the security agencies that there are rebels, those who can go out there and leak information which was supposed to be classified to these criminals by reason of affiliation or for monetary incentives.
In any case, it seems there are saboteurs among the security personnel which has made their job difficult making them look like they are incompetent and not capable enough to do their jobs. And if that was the case, then we are in for a torrid time at the hands of these criminals because, we are not fighting only the “unknown” but we are also fighting the “enemy within” which is a very dangerous fight as you wouldn’t know where they are coming from and their next strategy, yet, your modus operandi is in their palms.
It is now very difficult in these difficult and trying times for the country to arrest the situation on the ground when you are not even sure of whom to trust amongst the security personnel in the country.
David Wole Owaboye, Lagos
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