Insecurity: Buhari Assures Will Be History

By Stephen Ubanna

President Muhammadu Buhari, a retired army General who is in the United Kingdom, UK, on a two weeks Medical vacation  appear to have gladdened the heart of Nigerians when he said on Wednesday, March 31, 2021, in his Easter message to Nigerians that ‘’the insecurity situation in the country would soon be a thing of the past’’.

The Katsina state born Nigerian President may have   convinced that insecurity in the country would be history going by the resolve within the security personnel. Note that the high level of insecurity in the country since 2009 had been necessitated by the activities of the Islamic Fundamentalist group, BokoHaram, and the Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP, in the north eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.

This is in addition to the activities of the armed Bandits in the north western states of Zamfara, Kaduna and Katsina, Buhari home state and the arms herdsmen in the different parts of the country. Aware of the bold initiative of the Nigerian President and the service Chiefs to tackle headlong the insecurity situation in the country in order to provide  an enabling  environment   for  economic activities to thrive in the country, Lawan Ahmad, the Nigerian Senate President has urged Nigerians  to support  the government efforts in achieving peace for the country.

Ahmad Senate President

Appealing to Nigerians to support  the  Buhari Administration  in its efforts  to provide security  and an enabling environment  for economic growth and prosperity, the Senate President who could not hide his feelings said  the Lawmakers  will continue  ‘’to work  for the Nigerian people  who are involved in Legitimate pursuit of peace’’.

Perhaps to avoid what had  happened  in the past ten years during  Easter Celebrations, where the  Bandits,  BokoHaram and ISWAP insurgents, as well as other Criminal gangs had taken advantage of it to attack on public  buildings and molest passengers on the road, Mohammed Adamu, the Inspector General of Police, IGP, was said to have ordered all the Assistant Inspector Generals of Police , AIGs and State Commissioners of Police to tight up security in their respective Zones and states to avoid giving room to the Criminal elements to  str

Adamu: IGP Of Police

Adamu, may have gladdened the heart of Nigerians when he said that the Force  will continue  to everything within its capacity  ‘’to provide  safety and security  to the teeming Nigerian population’’.  The IGP, matching order to the AIGs and state Commissioners of Police to ensure  tight security in their respective Zones and stateS may have become necessary because of the situation in the north west states of Zamfara and Kaduna, where the Bandits have resorted to kidnapping of Students for ransom, in the recent time.

It is on record that between 2011 and now, no fewer than 2,619, people  had  been killed  in various attacks by the Bandits in Zamfara state during Festival periods. The Bandits were said to have also kidnapped 1, 190 people from different parts of the state in the last eight years.  The news making the rounds was that  the Zamfara state government, alone  had spent   the sum of N970 million  to pay ransom to the Bandits to secure the release of those that had fallen into their waiting hands including students.

Many believe that the security agencies personnel , articular, the Nigerian Army and the Air Force have a lot to do in bringing  the high level of insecurity in the state that has over   100 Camps and 10, 000 Bandits  operating from these Camps and beyond under control.

Matawalle: Governor, Zamfara State

The argument in both official and unofficial circles  is that the flash states lack enough  security  forces to secure the lives and properties  of the people of the states, particular, Zamfara and Kaduna. This may have informed why Bello Matawalle, the Zamfara state governor had bowed to pressure from different quarters in the state to initiate  a peace and reconciliation  process as well as developing an amnesty program for the Bandits  to force them to drop their arms.

Matawalle, the Zamfara state governor may have had at the back of his mind that the practical measures initiated for peace would go a long way to tackle the insecurity challenges in the state but got it wrong. This is because there had been upsurge in occasional attacks and kidnappings in the state that was said to have  been masterminded  by some entrepreneurs and informants  who were said to be conniving   with the unrepentant Bandits to sustain the tempo of the attacks in the state to ensure that their illegal gold mining business in the state  go on undisturbed as they   have the established market in Togo and Niger Republic.

Missing NAF,Alpha Jet

The security challenge in the north east may have  claimed  a Nigerian Air Force, NAF, Alpha Jet, on a Surveillance mission in the north east state of Borno, which was said to have disappeared from the radar on Wednesday, March 31, 2021. Edward Gabkwet, an Air Commodore, and Director NAF, Public Relations and information had said that ‘’there were two Crew members on board the missing Jet’’.

There are indications that the Alpha Jet may have crashed in an  unknown  Location  killing, both the Pilot and Co-Pilot identified as  Flt. FLTs. John Abolarinwa and Ebiakpo Chapele. Given that the whereabouts of the Alpha Jet and the two Crew members remained unknown may have informed why   the NAF, surveillance  aircraft and special Forces  as well as the Nigerian Army  personnel who are on ground  have intensified   their search and rescue operations.

 The Air Force Authorities do not want to give room to the IWAP insurgents who have been attacking  military bases in Borno state in the recent time  to claim responsibility of having shot down the Alpha Jet which will be a big set back to the Counter –insurgency war in the north east.

In spite of the fact there is no clue yet to the whereabouts of the Alpha fighter Jet,  Gabkwet, the NAF, spokesperson, is optimistic that   that ‘’the Crew  would be found  and rescued’’.              

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *