Security situation getting grimmer

It is trite to say that the security situation in the country, particularly in the far-north most parts, is getting grimmer by the day. Not a day passes without a major breach here and there causing acute public disquiet. The social media that is so pervasive in this age ensures that most attacks that take place in whatever nooks of the country is brought to the public knowledge without delay. Whether you are there or not you share the pains of the victims immediately.

That is how we shared the pain and grief of those who were intercepted on Kaduna- Abuja highway by armed bandits, at the peak of day, in the afternoon of the penultimate Monday. Immediately, the lead car owned by Dr Mohammed Mahmood Abubakar was randomly shot at, the driver was killed and the car came to a stop. Several other vehicles following were forced to stop giving the opportunity to the bandits to haul many into their net.

The entire saga of kidnapping Dr. Abubakar and his daughter and all the painful gory details were then played out in the social media. Even the audio of the details of the subsequent negotiations for the release of Dr. Abubakar and his daughter played out to the public. We listened to the tremulous but firm voice of Dr. Abubakar, and shared his pain and anguish, when he was exhorting his relations to raise the ransom money demanded by the kidnappers for their freedom. When everything became resolved, the next morning, we all heaved sighs of relief that these beleaguered citizens have gained their freedom after spending a harrowing night with these criminals.

The next day, Tuesday, the terror moved to Gobirawa village in Safana Local Government of Katsina State, where bandits surrounded the village. One of the residents immediately took to the social media. The bandits numbering over 200 on motor cycles and armed to the teeth had surrounded the village chanting war songs. The torment of Gobirawa was also widely broadcasted and was even picked by many foreign radio stations broadcasting in Hausa language such as the BBC. Unfortunately, before help could reach the hapless villagers many lives were lost, along with plenty of properties. During the same operation, the bandits also visited their atrocities to the nearby Sha Ka Wuce village.

But what upped the ante in this insecurity saga was what occurred the next day, Wednesday, in another setting. That was the day when gunmen stormed Daura town and whisked away a senior traditional title holder, Musa Umar, the Magajin Garin Daura. This saga also played out immediately in the social media. Those who witnessed the abduction were astounded by its audacity and relayed the details in the social media as well as in the Hausa language broadcast of the BBC, Voice of America, etc. The abduction took place just after Magrib prayers, when the Magaji was holding court in front of his residence, probably awaiting, as is the norm, for the Isha’i prayers.

As an on-the-spot observer, Malam Muhammad recalled, the incident played out like drama. He said: “We all observed the Maghrib prayer in the same neighbourhood and left the mosque. The district head retreated back to his house and sat in the front. It is part of his routine to wait until the Isha’i, the last prayer of the day, before he will retire into his house. However, while seated in front of his house, he received some phone calls. From all indications, those who called told him that they were on their way to see him. Few minutes after they arrived at the house, parked their vehicles, alighted and then approached the Magajin Gari. All of a sudden they grabbed him and whisked him into one of the waiting vehicles and sped off. When people tried to come to his aid, the gunmen shot sporadically in the air to scare the people who were forced to run to safety”.

What made this incident more telling was because it took place in Daura, the home town of the President. And sources in the town have even been heard to say that the Magajin Gari was targeted probably because he is married to the niece of the President and he is also the father of the wife of the President’s Aide-De-Camp (ADC). We pray for a quick resolution to this heinous crime so that the victim is reunited with his family.

Cities and towns were safe havens. Not anymore. In the North-central area of the country, Taraba State citizens have been traumatized by many cases of abductions of prominent citizens from the comfort of their homes. Hosea Ibi, a member representing Takum constituency was abducted from his house at the end of December 2017. Despite a payment of ransom twice, his kidnappers killed him. More recently Usman Mayo, a big businessman was taken away in Takum. His family paid a ransom of over a hundred million Naira. Yet his abductors have refused to release him. In fact, there are reports that say that he had instructed his family not to accede to any more demands of the kidnappers.

In the capital, Jalingo, life is not much safer than in Takum or in other towns and villages of the state. A few days ago abductors stormed the Taraba State University and took away the Deputy Registrar, Sanusi Sa’ad, from his house. Similarly, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Water Resources, Susana Jonathan was abducted in the dead of night from her residence at ATC Jalingo, a shouting distance from the university. Another report said that Usaini Manaja, Director of Works in College of Education, Zing, was also abducted from his residence at Kantiyal area of the metropolis. Abdu Hamza, a large-scale farmer was also said to be seized at his farm at Nanguru, Gassol local government area of the state. All these cases are yet to be unravelled. We can only pray that they return to their family safely.

One can go on and on but I hope readers have gotten hold of the thread in this narrative. The bottom line is that there is nowhere that is safe today. Whether it is on the highway, within villages, towns and cities or wherever in the country, citizens have all become sitting ducks for kidnappers to pick at will. And there is no consideration for social attainments and status. The rich, the peasants, the clergy, the government officials and even traditional rulers are all helpless before the almighty kidnappers. This has affected all forms of interactions that involve movements from one point to the other. Even from Abuja, the capital city, most roads leading out to other parts of the country can only be traversed with extreme fear. In fact, most people have now abandoned road journey for air and rail where available.

One recalls a similar situation in 2015 when Boko Haram terrorists were having a field day in most parts of the country creating the most pervasive feeling of insecurity since the civil war. To the credit of this government and President Buhari who took decisive action then, the situation was soon reversed and by the end of the year the terrorists were in full flight. Now the upsurge of this criminal activity is truly worrisome. The situation is getting grimmer calling for the same decisive measures to stem the tide.

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