On Wednesday morning, 17th of February, 2021, some armed men in military fatigues stormed the Government Science Secondary School, Kagara, in Niger State and abducted about 27 children; one was shot dead on the spot. Niger State is located in Northwest, Nigeria. The tally of people abducted from the boarding school facility could also rise as an unknown number of teachers are still missing.
Residents say they got advance information of the attack but the information was sketchy. “About Tuesday evening we heard that bandits were coming to kagara but we did not know where they will attack”, one Muhammed Isa revealed. “Later at about 10 pm, we had that they were just on the outskirt of the town and there was panic”, he stressed further. Last December, hundreds of schoolboys were abducted by the jihadist group, Boko Haram, in Kankara, Katsina State.
The boys were returned after the State government had presumably paid some ransom. The incidents in Chibok and Daptchi are fresh in memory. But the rising question is how safe is the country under the complete command of a section of the country? Not a single security establishment is under the control of any other tribe. The Customs, Immigrations, responsible for controlling the influx of foreigners and illegal arms are in the hands of this particular tribe; the Armed Forces and the Nigeria Police responsible for the control of security are also under the jackboot of these minorities.
Virtually all key decision-making organs including the NIA, NSA are not left out. Most times, the joint Security Council meetings are dominated by them. Yet the borders have never been left porous, abused, and raped. Calls by the disadvantaged tribes for restructuring have been resisted. Now the country is in danger of being swallowed by dangerous jihadists! Prominent politicians from the North have never failed to show their bias when commenting on strategic security matters.
Two of them recently asserted that the roving Bororo Fulani tribe were free to carry guns as well as come into the country—those from other lands! How can a country grow with such a nebulous concept and a warped mindset? This is why—as is being expressed—in quiet circles that the abductions appear contrived—or at best a conspiracy. But a conspiracy for what when life is involved? One fact however remains that the country is drifting dangerously to extinction. The complete control of the security apparatus by one minority tribe cannot be exonerated from the downturn in fortunes.
It has been said again and again that being in control of power is not the same as having the requisite experience to govern. But the North continues to insist and drag the rest of the country backward by their recalcitrant attitude. “The country has changed focus from industrialization to remain quagmired in a useless power struggle”, disclosed one Stephen Olisemeka. “I don’t know what these people see in being in control of power, but you can see it is causing the country much harm”, he stated, asking how can hundreds of students be abducted and escaped without the knowledge of security personnel’s knowing? This is the same people that reject community policing, just because they want to be in control of the police”, he added.
On his part, Mr. President has not helped matters. No opportunity passes for him to heap insult on other Nigerians by populating public and civil service space with his kinsmen. His recent appointment in the heat of this crisis is in EFCC and the NSCDC. “It is incredible and a real puzzle; something like shame”, said one Augustus who does not want his full name in print. Augustus said he is ashamed of what is going on at the highest office of the land and is surprised this is happening in the 21st century. “So, some people struggled to grab power just so as to implement this treacherous agenda”, August added, wondering what the whole plan is.
In the same vein, Nigerians are stupefied at the proliferation of weapons in the hands of criminals. They hide in the bush to cause terror, kidnap and abduct people. “Yet, there is not even a single statement from the top warning against such acts”, Augustus lamented. So, the question is what next for Nigerians? Can the country survive another two years? The answer remains in the realm of conjecture.
