Yet another killing spree by terrorists

TIME and again, the terrorists euphemistically dubbed bandits have staged deadly attacks across the country, cutting down innocent souls in cold blood. And time and again, the authorities have promised a commensurate response, only to falter and dither, emboldening the outlaws to stage even more daring attacks while apparently scoffing at the power of the Nigerian State. Only last week, the outlaws killed ten persons in Sokoto State. According to reports, they stormed Dantudu Lajinge village in the Sabon Birni Local Government Area of the state and slit the throats of nine persons who were identified as members of the community’s local security outfit. The wives of the slain persons, who were apparently forced to watch the gory spectacle, were reportedly abducted while the remains of their spouses lay in the pool of blood.

Chairman of the Sabon Birni Local Government Council, Ayuba Hamisu, confirmed the incident, saying that it happened while he was attending a function in Abuja, and that he had suspended further engagements at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and was heading home to be with his people.  But he is clearly helpless. In Zamfara State, at least six travellers were confirmed dead after a vehicle conveying them ran over explosives planted along the Dansadau-Gusau Road in the Maru Local Government Area of the state by suspected Lakurawa terrorists. The explosives were said to have been planted by the terrorists after the completion of community work on the road. Said a resident of Yar Tasha village: “We recently conducted community work on the road and the bandits used that opportunity to plant the device at one of the spots. The victims were rushed to Dansadau General Hospital.” The Zamfara State Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Dalijan,  indicated that members of the Lakurawa terrorist group were spotted near the blast site moments before the explosion.

Reacting to the incident, the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) asked the security agencies to restore peace and ensure safety across the country. Chairman of the forum, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, said: “The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) sends its heartfelt condolences to the people and government of Zamfara State on the unfortunate road explosion in which six persons reportedly died. The forum says the incident, which the police have blamed on the run-away local terrorist group, was a cowardly attempt to inflict collateral harm on the people. We condemn the development in its entirety, and wholeheartedly throw our weight behind the efforts of the Nigerian military to rout these violent, criminal elements from our land. As the security agencies finish off these elements, we call for improved vigilance and prompt report of suspicious activities to the authorities. This is necessary for the good of all.”

Of course, the Defence headquarters and the military high command have been talking tough on the new terrorist outfit. For instance, the newly inaugurated Chief of Army Staff, Lt-General Olufemi Oluyede, presented an optimistic outlook this week. Speaking to State House Correspondents after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, Oluyede said: “We are hitting them hard at the Nigerian end, and once you hit them hard here, they tend to flee to the Niger Republic. Now that Niger Republic is coming on board, that means very soon, Lakurawa will be a thing of the past. We need to collaborate with neighbouring countries because these issues affect them too. By working together, we can address the threat more effectively.”

The incidents in Sokoto and Zamfara states are saddening in the extreme. It is distressing that in a country that supposedly has a government and subscribes to law and order, terrorists have continued to carry on as lords of the manor, decreeing death to innocent citizens at will. We shudder to even think about the current state of the abducted Sokoto women who witnessed the killing of their husbands. In all probability, they are being subjected to untrammeled horror at the moment, treated worse than slaves; and that is if they are even alive at all. That, saddening as it is, pales into insignificance when the fate of many citizens in the custody of the terrorists and who have not even been mentioned in news reports is considered. The terrorists are simply having a field day inflicting pain, and they must be stopped before they wreak further havoc.

Evidently, a lot needs to be done to rein in the impunity of terrorists across the land. The lawlessness is staggering. Just how can outlaws have such power over hapless citizens? Where is security surveillance? Does anyone know just how many innocent citizens are going to be killed next? The indiscriminate killings by the so-called bandits underline yet again the depth of insecurity in the land and the seeming helplessness of the government. The government has to acknowledge the deteriorating situation and accept the ineffectiveness of whatever security architecture it has in place at the moment. It must ensure critical changes in the architecture. There is no viable society without security. It is the highest responsibility of the government and it has to act very fast, if only to assure the citizenry of its existence and its resolve to free them from the clutches of outlaws.

The government has to act now: not acting can only further embolden the terrorists and make insecurity more intractable. That would be quite tragic.

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