It is what it is. There is a saying that the death that kills one’s relative serves as a warning to others. That is the situation of things in this part of the world. If something happens to your neighbour and you refuse to ask questions or act as if it does not concern you, then, if care is not taken, the same thing is likely to happen to you too. By that time, it might already be too late to cry because the damage would have been done.
Fighting evil and insurgency should be a collective effort. It should not be limited to one area, state, or region alone. If we truly call ourselves a country, then everyone in that country ought to be governed by the same laws, united, and committed to a clear goal on how to tackle insecurity.
In the past, issues such as crime, banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism were more common and frequent in the northern part of Nigeria, and people gradually began to see them as normal. Most of us in the western part of the country saw them as northern problems because they did not affect us directly. Many people also attributed the terror in the North to religious undertones, especially during the height of the Boko Haram insurgency before it later shifted into banditry and kidnapping.
We all know that kidnapping is not a new thing in Nigeria, but the way it has become rampant these days is alarming and calls for serious concern. Yet, what do we do? We fold our arms and only appeal to the government to get things done for us, forgetting that the people are indirectly the government. We are the ones living in our communities and know more about them than the government does. We are the ones who can identify strangers from afar, observe suspicious movements, and alert security agencies when necessary.
Since we could not do much when it was happening in the North, now it is gradually becoming our turn in the West, yet many people still do not see it as a serious threat. The bandits do not care. I do not even want to believe this is politically motivated, but even if it is, what kind of human sacrifice is this all in the name of politics? It is a shame that politics in this part of the world has degenerated to such a level. Anytime elections are around the corner, different forms of crime and atrocities are committed by these so-called good-for-nothing individuals. We do not even know where they get their sophisticated weapons and ammunition from, weapons that sometimes seem more powerful than those of the security operatives themselves. Is that not an irony?
When the government fails to see bandits as criminals who must be completely eradicated and displaced, then there is serious trouble in the land.
It is shameful to see the government granting pardons to arrested bandits and even incorporating some of them into the country’s military structure. We have lost our sense of direction, and it is no longer funny.
The most recent attack in Oyo State was one of the most gruesome and disturbing incidents to witness. Imagine bandits storming different schools and kidnapping over 47 people, taking them through thick forests. The most horrifying part was the killing of one of the teachers, who was reportedly slaughtered in a live recording because the kidnappers felt that security agents were closing in on them. Is that not unfortunate? Indeed, it is terrible even to think about.
Where are we heading as a nation? Where will the blood of innocent people continue to flow? Why does the government seem so helpless in tackling banditry and insurgency and providing a lasting solution once and for all? The most annoying part is that if it were a case of hate speech online, security agents would quickly locate and deal with the individual involved. Yet, when it comes to doing the right thing against criminals terrorising innocent citizens, they seem unable to act effectively. It is a shame.
Should we say the world is coming to an end? It is sad to see that crime has now become the order of the day.