10,217 Persons Killed In 2 Years: Still Playing Games With Security

 By Adekunle Adekoya

This week, the newswires were awash with reports that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede has relocated to Benue State, ostensibly in a show of force following endless killings by herdsmen militias in that state. Without fear of equivocation, one can say that Benue is the most embattled of all the states of the federation, given the frequency of attacks and scale of killings in that state. 

Plateau will be second on that gruesome list. Kaduna, under Nasir el-Rufai would have trumped both, given the bloodbath that took place in that state, but something happened; there is palpable relief as the orgy of killings there, particularly in Southern Kaduna, seems to have abated. What happened in Kaduna? Can we make it happen in Benue and Plateau?

According to a 29 May, 2025 report by Amnesty International, no less than 10,217 people were killed in two years since the Tinubu administration came on board, with over 6,896 killed in Benue State alone, and at least 2,630 killed in Plateau. The report noted further that about 638 villages were sacked by bandits in Zamfara State. By any standard, these are grim figures for a nation that is not at war. 

But the situation looks similar to what obtains in warfare, though those who were old enough to observe remark that the orgy of killings that started since 2015 is not comparable with what was seen during the Nigerian civil war. What differentiates the present situation from that of the civil war is that the ongoing bloodbath in the country is being perpetrated by non-state actors while the armed services are tasked to neutralise them.

It will not work because it is simply logically incongruous to send a formal army, expected to do battle under local and international rules of engagement against non-formal adversaries that do not operate with any rules of engagement. As I have noted in earlier editions of this column, it is asymmetric warfare and the Nigerian armed services are hard-tasked to prevail. As our people say, if you do not know how to dance, just watch the footworks of the person next to you on the dance floor.

In the comity of nations, which country is Nigeria watching, and hoping to emulate in terms of security? Is it Israel or Russia? America or China, Britain or Belgium? In the aftermath of the 9/ 11 attacks, America responded by rejigging its security architecture, major outcome of which was creation of the Department of Homeland Security. Have terrorists forgiven America, which they call the Great Satan? Have they stopped planning attacks? I do not think so. But I think those in charge of running security in America have remained on their toes, continuously, without rest, gathering intelligence on security threats and acting on them with despatch.

Yesterday, the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, was quoted as remarking that as a nation, “ we must control illicit arms to defeat terrorism.” While I see this as mere platitude, I must say that it is an imperative. Perhaps after Afghanistan and South Sudan, our country must be the next stop for the largest number of uncommissioned arms in circulation. 

The issue, for me, a newspaperman, is just like NEWS —Five Ws and H—Who is doing What, When, Where, Why and How? Who is bringing these arms into our country? When do they bring them in? From where? Why, and How do they bring them in? How do hunters in Uromi, said to be from Northern Nigeria, get assault rifles to hunt game? When these questions are answered, convincingly, we would discern the trajectory of the insecurity parabola.

Apart from the ONSA (Office of National Security Adviser), we have the Defence Intelligence Agency, DIA; National Intelligence Agency, NIA; Directorate of Military Intelligence, DMI; the Department of State Security, DSS; and the intelligence unit of the Nigeria Police Force Force, including the FCID and FIID. With these assets, all Nigerians should be able to sleep with their two eyes shut. 

That is because between all of them, credible intel should be available to deal with security threats of any kind, anywhere in the country, and if in the proactive mode, long before they become issues. It is simply beyond understanding that armed barbarians will invade Nigeria from wherever and mount an orgy of killings and we are all watching helplessly. Worse, statements are issued by holders of political office, promising action that never comes until the next bloodbath when the same platitudes are repeated.

It is just mind-boggling that with the huge resources committed to security, as much as 10,217 people could get killed in just two years, according to the report by Amnesty International. And digging deeper into that report, one can only weep for Nigeria that over 6,896 of that 10,217 killed in two years were from Benue State alone.

Now that the Chief of Army Staff has relocated to Benue, we are all waiting to see the equivalent of miracle. I personally hope that the imposing, corpulent bulk of the Army chief alone will scare away the gunmen terrorising the people of Benue, and also make their cohorts in other states flee before the Army chief comes to their areas of operation. Generally, I do not think there is any country that treats security issues with levity the way we do here. 

Just look around; there are times of day when it is discernible that security men, especially policemen, will not be in evidence. It is even more so at weekends and when there is adverse weather. Criminals, getting more sophisticated every day observe these patterns and decide when to operate accordingly. We must get more serious with security. In fact, let us choose a secure country and adopt its model of security which we must implement diligently.

*Adekoya is a commentator on public issues