Insecurity: An abnormality turns normal

Sir: The level of insecurity in Nigeria, the giant of Africa, has been on the rise daily. Insecurity is a state of being open to threat and danger. This has been a hindrance not only to the improvement of quality of life and material development of Nigerians but also has affected the economy of the nation. The result is clearly seen on Gross Democratic Product (GDP), Gross National Product (GNP) and Capita Per Income (CPI). As a sovereign state, being insecure has not only sent foreign investors away but restricted local businesses from progressing. 

Nigeria began witnessing insecurity since the civil war of 1967, which lasted for three years. However, recently, the nation has suffered some series of attacks making it third most terrorised nation according to data from (SBM) intelligence.

From the months of January to November of the year 2020, there has been an average of 142 attacks in different regions of the nation according to SBM intelligence.

The Northeast states, the most insecure states, have been rampantly terrorised by the Boko Haram extremists, which began in 2009 as a campaign against western education. The sect has so far displaced thousands of citizens in the region. 

As the Boko Haram extremists are causing unrest and tension in the Northeast, bandits and kidnappers are doing same in the North-central and Northwest. These activities coupled with that in the Southeast, suspected to be caused by members of the (IPOB), have been on the news daily.

The Southwest region, where the nation’s centre of excellence is located, is disturbed by armed herders. Perhaps because of the Federal Government’s inability to arrest the insecurity issues in the nation, the region’s governors created the Amotekun, an armed security outfit to curtail the insecurity. This was later supported by Sunday Igboho, an activist in the region.

The Southeast, the region mostly affected by the Nigerian civil war, have been witnessing series of attacks from gunmen. Although different state governments are trying to secure their states, the Federal Government needs to stop speaking and swing into action if indeed it intends to secure the lives and properties of Nigerians as promised prior to 2015 general election.

Al’amin Umar is of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri.