Almost every day on the national television and in the daily newspaper, the worrisome and tense security situations in the Northern parts of the country and everywhere have continued to dominate discourse, but unfortunately such discussions have yielded little or no results in protecting human lives and properties, over a decade now, and still counting. The government of the day is standing aloof from the people and may have in its style decided to watch and see where this regrettable macabre dance would lead the country. In our editorial comment last week, we pointed out that Nigeria is on the precipice and may likely cave-in if the government continues with this kind of grave yard silence it is known for. The embarrassing and recent abduction of over 333 students of Government Science Secondary School (GSSS), Kankara in Katsina by the terrorists, often called bandits, calls for question, why all these things are happening in the country? The boldness of the terrorists to embark on this recent and cowardly adventure in the home state of the President, katsina who was on a private visit, and the success of the dastardly abduction operation indeed tells every Nigerian that, there is fire on the mountain if nothing is done, and urgently too.
The confirmation of the leader of Boko Haram that the boys are in their den however compounds the problem, knowing the modus operandi of this dreaded group. Apart from those maimed and killed at different occasions across states, in the country, three heavy shameful abductions of students in the North stands out and would continue to haunt the psyche of the country for a very long time. For example, in April, 2014, 276 Chibok School girls were hauled into waiting trucks from their dormitory and taken to only God knows destination. The rest are now history. In 2018, another batch of 110 students was equally abducted in Dapchi from their school. After many months of ding-dung affairs with the terrorists, a good number of them were let off the hook, leaving Leah Sharibu who is still being held because of her faith as a Christian. With the latest abduction saga of 333 male students also rustled like cows from their school without any form of confrontation and intelligence gathering from the security agents, is most despicable. As it stands, you do not need a soothsayer to conclude that, the present administration, under President Muhammadu Buhari has lost touch with modern day security solution confronting the country, given that no day passes without people being killed or abducted across the country especially in the North.
That the Governor, Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State openly declared that the government is negotiating with the terrorists to secure the release of the students further confirms that, the country has lost the war on terrorism. Just last month, American soldiers because of one of their citizens that was abducted in Niger and brought into the Nigeria territory flew all the way from America and were able to free their compatriot from his captors alive, and the captors however suffered the consequences without any ransom paid. This tells you the premium America as a country places on the lives of every average American citizen. This is not applicable in our case where everything, including human life is reduced to number and can be toyed with, by politicians elected to represent us.
This is also the only country where the handlers of the President would talk before thinking. For instance, the statement that was credited to the Senior Special Assistant to the President on media and publicity, Shehu Garba who said only ten students were missing was very tragic comment that was least expected from such a high profile office, not even at this time blood is flowing everywhere. Unfortunately too, the tear gassing of the parents of the students who protested and demanded the immediate release of their wards by the police is also condemned in the strongest term. The happenings in many ways confirm the alarm hitherto raised not too long ago by the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Saad Abubakar, OFR, that the North has become the most dangerous place to live in the country. Whatever is the situation, the body language of the President, Mohammadu Buhari in many ways is not helping matters. For the fact that he was in Katsina the very day the bandits struck and up till today has not deemed it necessary to empathize with the affected parents by visiting the school, leaves much to be desired from a President whose regime has witnessed unspeakable bloodletting, nearing six years he was elected.
The failure of our politicians to do the right thing unfortunately has exposed our children, especially those from the Northern region who under the present circumstances, have become endangered species just because they chose to go to school, without anybody rescuing them. The disruption of security meeting in Kaduna just few days ago is yet another pointer, telling Nigerians that the enemies are within and should hold government accountable. While we welcome the release of the abducted students back to their parents, school and the larger society, we want to also warn that government should FORESTALL a repeat of this inglorious activities of the enemy of the society. Enough is enough! We also call on both the Federal and the State governments to ensure that security is beefed up in every school in Nigeria to protect Nigerian students from these mindless terrorists whose only agenda is to destroy the country and the future of our children. There is no more time to waste. The time to act is now.
