Nigeria: A Dying State In The Of An Ineffectual Government

By Obi Ebuka Onochie

“People speak sometimes about the “bestial” cruelty of man, but that is terribly unjust and offensive to beasts, no animal could ever be so cruel as a man, so artfully, so artistically cruel.” ― Fyodor Dostoyevsky

The above line from Fyodor is truer of Nigerian situation today which leaves one to wonder if we will ever come out of this pit. The killings are no longer fluid but continuously stable that many of them go unreported.

Kidnapping is now a mass business and every detail about these kidnappings are questionable raising debate if they were real or staged.

We are so deeply torn apart that evil is triumphing not only within our boarders but the psyche, mind, heart, ability and competence of those entrusted to govern presently. 

The inspector general of police, Ibrahim Kpotun Idris told the senate that suspending the anti-open grazing laws passed by some states is one way to end the deadly clashes between herders and farmers. He said this at the Senate committee hearing when he was invited over 73 people mowed down in their homes by herdsmen terrorists in Benue state. If we were to even go with his groundless reason of anti-grazing law, what about Nimbo in Enugu state, Olu Falae’s farm in Ondo, Zamfara and many other states that do not have anti-grazing law yet where these attacks have taken place massively and or in isolated cases? He has either knowingly or inadvertently admitted before the Senate that the situation cannot be contained or handled by the police under his leadership. The same police boss once referred to these attacks as communal clashes and not invading terrorist attacks.

On the other hand, Mansur Muhammad Dan Ali, the defense minister told Nigerians who cared to listen to him that blockage of cattle routes which he said was available at independence which was over five decades ago was the cause. Looking at it from his angle, cities should not grow in certain areas, farmers should not farm in certain areas of their ancestral lands because cattle must have that route. What happened to ranching and what happened to vast sea of land in far north? Does it mean they have given up on effect of climate change? That this reasoning or excuses is coming from a defense minister terrifies concerned citizens.

‘The Islamic State in West Africa network operating within some North Central and South-South sections of Nigeria may be responsible for the recent killings recorded in Benue State and other parts of the country.’ This information is said to be contained in an intelligence report presented to President Muhammadu Buhari by security agencies, including the Department of State Service. Even the intelligence community in Nigeria do not have their hands around the situation thereby feeding the presidency with maybes reports.

There was uproar in the Senate recently over President Muhammadu Buhari’s claim that the herdsmen, who have killed hundreds of Nigerians, particularly since the inception of his administration, were trained and armed by the late Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi. This is in continuation of his blame game policy as he was discussing with Archbishop of Canterbury, His Grace Justin Welby. He said so again in his recent visit to the White House. We all know that Muammar Gaddafi died seven years ago but still disrupts the ability of the present leadership of Nigeria to protect its citizens which is the primary duty and sworn oath of the government.

These so called Gadhafi trained and equipped murderous terrorists did not kill in Algeria, they did not kill in Mali, they are not killing in Niger, they are not killing in Chad but they are butchering in Nigeria. Even in Nigeria, they are not killing in Kastina, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kano or in Kaduna excluding the southern part. But they have wetted the grounds of Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, Taraba and even Enugu states with the blood of the people of these states. That claim may appear excusable enough in the perspective of this administration but in reality, it is self-indicting which should have triggered the resignation of the president himself first and all the present security chiefs or be appropriately impeached by the national assembly. How can foreigners match through the boarders of a sovereign nation and savagery keep butchering the citizens for years and only thing the commander in chief would say is that they were trained and armed by a dead man?

Few days ago, over 60 worshippers were bombed to early grave in a market mosque in Mubi, Adamawa state and a ruthless gun attack killed two reverend fathers and 17 parishioners at Mbalon Catholic Church in Benue state yet no section of our government is ruffled or rattled. To remember that it was on this same security problem and corruption that this government rode to power and yet not bothered of its worsening dimension leaves Nigerians with only one choice towards 2019.

*Onochie could be reached with: obiebuka360@gmail.com