Heightening insecurity under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu unsettles the government as the presidency and security agencies appear to have exhausted their capacity to deal with the ugly situation
By Ikenna Princewill
Two recent kidnap incidents in the Northern Nigeria have weakened the Federal Government’s and security agencies’ nerves. The two incidents which occurred early March 2024, have also proved, according to the Amnesty International, that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu does not have a clear cut strategy to tackle the challenges of insecurity his government would face before he took the mantle of leadership as the country’s Commander-in-Chief.
Otherwise, according to security experts, how would a government explain the abductions of over 500 women and school children in two states of the North east and North west Zones within one week without security agencies being able to rescue the defenseless women and school children?
On Wednesday, March 6, 2024, the Boko Haram terrorists invaded the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp in Gamboru area of Borno State. At the end of their operations, the IDP Camp had been set ablaze while about 300 women who lived in the camp were abducted by the terrorists. Reports had it that the women had gone into a nearby bush to fetch fire woods. The women have remained in captivity without any hope of rescuing them.
Condemning the Borno women abduction, the Amnesty International laid the blame on the doorpost of the presidency and security agencies. The Director of Amnesty International for Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, said, “The latest abductions clearly show President Bola Tinubu and his government have no effective plan for ending years of atrocities by armed groups and gunmen that are increasingly having a free reign across many parts of Nigeria.
“Whatever security measures being implemented by President Tinubu and his government, are clearly not working”.
In Kaduna State, over 287 pupils of LEA Primary School in Kuriga Community of Chikun Local Government Area (LGA) were kidnapped by Bandits on Thursday, March 7, 2024. Until now, the whereabouts of the kidnapped children have remained unknown.
The abductors of the school children also had put an initial ransom demand of N40 trillion before they would release their victims. But President Tinubu has issued stern warning to security agencies not pay any ransom for the release of the abductees.
President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday, March 13, 2024 reiterated his directives to security agencies and the ministry of defence that no ransom should be paid by the government to kidnappers, bandits, or any criminal elements for the release of abducted persons.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris Malagi disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by the President at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The minister said, “In council today, Mr. President reiterated his directive to the security agencies and the ministry of defence to ensure that those of our kids that have been abducted by these criminal gangs are brought back to their homes safely.
“And Mr President has also reiterated his zero tolerance for payment of ransom. That was also mentioned by Mr. President at the council today. So the security agencies are working around the clock.
“So these children and people that have been abducted by criminal elements will be brought back to safety pretty soon. The security agencies are working hard in that direction. And Mr. President has also directed that no ransom will be paid by government to any of these criminal elements. It is important that it be put out there.”
While fielding questions on the increasing wave of kidnapping in the country, the Minister said, “You’re also asking about the apparent surge in this kidnapping across the country. Now it is true that some of these are happening, we have seen what has happened in Kaduna, in Borno, and then in Sokoto.
“Of course, the government is watching that very closely and not just watching but also ensuring that security agencies are taking proactive steps to ensure that this is halted significantly.
Now, like I said, Mr. President has said that it is an unacceptable situation, and the government will not condone abductions or kidnappings, or any kind of criminality in that direction. We’re seeing this happening, and the government is taking very proactive steps, first to mitigate that, and also to stop the spread of this apparently.
“We are seeing that the more the security agencies are also hitting these targets or criminals, the more they are pushed to also get some soft targets. But the government is not taking any excuses.
“The President has directed that security agencies must, as a matter of urgency, ensure that these children and all those who have been kidnapped are brought back in safety and also in the process to ensure that not a dime is paid for ransom.
“So it’s important to underscore that the government is not paying anybody any dime, and the government is optimistic that these children and other people that have been abducted will be brought back to their families in safety.”
But the situation has remained the same after Tinubu had given a marching order to security and Intelligence agencies to immediately rescue the defenseless women and children.
President Bola Tinubu had directed the country’s security and intelligence agencies to immediately rescue the victims of abduction involving the vulnerable, internally-displaced persons in Borno State and students in Kaduna State.
President Tinubu also ordered the relevant agencies to ensure that justice is served against the perpetrators of the abominable acts. Bandits reportedly invaded the Kuriga area of the Chikun Local Council of Kaduna State last Thursday, shooting at their victims before taking away at least 280 of the pupils and teachers from both schools.
President Tinubu, who condemned the heinous incidents in a statement yesterday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, while expressing optimism about the rescue of the victims, said “nothing else is acceptable to me and the waiting family members of these abducted citizens.”
Following Tinubu’s order that no ransom be paid to kidnappers of the Kaduna State school children, the abductors had also reduced their ransom demands to the sum of one billion naira only. But they have also issued a warning that if the money was not paid within the next 15 days, they would kill all the children.
According to Reuters, a community leader, Jubril Aminu, who acts as a spokesman for the families of the hostages, said he received a phone call from the kidnappers on Tuesday, March 12.
According to Aminu: “They demanded N1 billion ransom for all the pupils and staff of the school. They gave us 20 days ultimatum, from the date of the kidnap, to pay. They said they will kill all the students and the staff if the ransom demand is not met.
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has also said that kidnappers of school children in Kaduna are terrorists and not bandits. Spokesman of Defence Media Operations (DMO), Maj-Gen Edward Buba, during the bi-weekly briefing, noted that the military were not promptly informed when the Borno and Kaduna kidnapping occurred. He vowed that the Nigerian Armed forces would rescue them unhurt.
“The aim of the military’s ongoing counter-insurgency war is the enduring defeat of terrorist groups across the country and the dismantling of their military capabilities, such that they can no longer terrorise or hurt citizens. Accordingly, the armed forces remain focused on achieving this aim.
“As in every war, there are complexities and ours is no exception. Recently, cases of citizens being abducted in Northern theatres of operation were recorded. These citizens were abducted by a brutal and blood-thirsty group that should only be addressed as terrorists, and not bandits. I repeat, these are terrorists and not bandits,” he insisted.
Parents and relatives of the school children have remained confused as to what would happen to their wards after the 15 days ultimatum given by the kidnappers. One billion Naira is not an easy money to come by. These poor parents are not capable of coughing out such big amount, the Federal Government, on its side, has insisted no ransom would be paid to kidnappers. Yet, the security agencies appear helpless in their efforts to track the bandits. What options are available to the pupils and their parents in order to save their lives? The President of the Federal Republic who swore to protect lives and property has this question to answer.
