The combination of corruption, poverty and insecurity continues to weaken the nerve of Nigeria’s leaders in the recent time, however the ever increasing insecurity in the land occasioned by injustice appears to be bringing the country to its knees – Writes Augustine Ojeikhoa
Nigeria’s estimated population of a little above 200 million people is just about 2.5 percent of the world population. Within this unfortunate percentage of the world population said to be locked together in one country under the barrel of the gun, resides what recent global statistics have pegged to 12 percent of the world’s poorest people. Hence, the use of the stigmatized sobriquet, “poverty capital of the world”, to refer to the Nigerian state.
Nigerians are poor, primitively poor in the 21st century when thriving nations are focusing mainly on the development of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications to enhance the living standard of their citizens. As at the last count, over 100 million Nigerians are living below the poverty level of $1 per day.
Under this dismal atmosphere, the new wave of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, insurgency, armed robbery and political killings that is ravaging the entire country has overwhelmed the hunger ravaged citizens. Worse in this era of insecurity in Nigeria is the wave of allegations that claim that security operatives in the country maybe complicit in this ugly situation.
The pool of insecurity has got to the neck of Nigeria and it is now gasping for real survival. Can there be any rescue before the nation sinks deeper and drown? The answer to this question has become chocking challenge to the insensitive minders of the country’s security apparatuses. However, warning emanating allegedly from the quarters of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the security agency charged with the internal security of the country, to the effect that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, had issued men and officers of the Force what is known in police parlance as “Force Intelligence Alert”, sounding a warning to them that the country is not safe anywhere. This alleged warning has sent chilling panic down the spine of helpless citizens.
Killings, Killings Everywhere
Nigeria has become the metaphorical killing field, citizens are practically insecure anywhere in the country, according to numerous opinion leaders. Dan Ulasi, a political analyst and a former Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Anambra State South East Nigeria, paints a gory picture of killings in Nigeria thus: “Any morning you wake up in Nigeria and didn’t hear or read about the ugly stories of killing of tens of Nigerians in the news, that day is not a normal day in the country. Nigeria is gradually becoming another Afghanistan. Any day you don’t read stories of killings it is abnormal. Most violence in the South East is traced to people in government especially in Imo State. Nigerians now value money more than life; that is the reason we’re killing ourselves on daily basis. Unfortunately, security agencies are complicit in the killings”, Ulasi was speaking on the Kaakaki programme of the Africa Independent Television (AIT) station on Wednesday, November 7, 2023.
Ulasi also admitted that barely four days to the November 11, 2023 governorship election in Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo States, violent killings in those states had become alarming. Accusing the security agencies of complicity in the violent killings, Ulasi pointed out to the abduction and brutalization of Joe Ajaero, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Owerri, Imo State by the police and violent thugs allegedly loyal to the governor of the state, Hope Uzodinma.
Corroborating Ulasi, Athan Achonu, the Labour Party (LP) candidate in Imo State governorship election alleged that his convoy was attacked by the “Tiger Base”, the anti-kidnap security team in Imo State led by an officer of the police he identified simply as Ola. Achonu alleged that on his way to attend a church programme in the state on invitation on Sunday, November 5, 2023, the security operatives, Tiger Base, had shot sporadically at the vehicles conveying himself and his party members and supporters. The LP candidate alleged that they escaped being killed by whiskers, and even when he called the police high command in Imo State to lodge a complaint, he did not get any reasonable response better than the arrogance of Ola who he alleged told him he was not under the control of the Commissioner of Police in the state.
Violent killings in Nigeria know no bounds, and no one is spared, except the high profile citizens who have appropriated security agencies to themselves. On Friday, October 21, 2023, suspected armed robbers numbering about 10, invaded three money deposit banks in Otukpo, Benue State in a broad daylight operation. The three MDBs are Zenith, UBA and First Bank Plc.
The men of the underworld were alleged to have attacked a Police Station near the banks, disarmed the operatives before proceeding to rob the banks. The armed robbers also killed eight people in the process including a serving Councilor in the state, policemen and vigilante members. No proper investigation had been carried out by the authorities into the operation since last October.
Armed with explosives, the Otukpo robbers had a field day as they carted away undisclosed sums of money from the five banks allegedly robbed and even killed the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Otukpo Police Station.
Senator Abba Moro who represents Benue South Senatorial District with headquarters in Otukpo where the armed robbers struck was quoted to have fumed, “We have several security checkpoints: there is the police, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Road Safety, the Department of State Service, and none of them got a hint that 60 armed men in two Hilux vehicles were coming to invade Otukpo? Where is intelligence?
Last October, the Abia State governor, Alex Otti uncovered a cattle market in the state where numerous decomposing bodies of humans, headless others and human skeletons were discovered. At the Lokpanta Cattle Market located in the Umunneochi Local Government Area (LGA) of Abia State, governor Otti revealed that the horror was unearthed when security operatives embarked on a raid of the notorious market based on credible intelligence. At the end of the raid, Otti revealed that the security operatives discovered 50 dead bodies, another 20 decomposing bodies without their heads and innumerable skeletons of human beings littered all over the forest close to the cattle market.
It was alleged that the forest was the den of kidnappers in Abia State where victims were kept until ransoms were paid by their relatives. It was also alleged that victims whose relatives were unable to meet up with the ransom demands were murdered and other beheaded for ritual purposes.
Since the Lokpanta Cattle Market killing field was discovered, the Federal Government had not carried out investigations into the saga, instead the alleged occupants of the market had been issuing threats to Abia State government for threatening to fence the entire market. But Otti had insisted that the “Axis of Evil” as the cattle market is being referred to would be turned to a general purpose market with sections for different goods while commercial activities would last from 6 am to 6 pm daily. Otti also alleged that apart from the kidnapping and ritual killings in the market, other criminal activities that went on in the market included gun running, prostitution, trading in illicit drugs among others.
In Anambra State, South East Nigeria, the site of a mass grave discovered by the state’s “Truth, Justice and Peace Commission set up by governor Chukwuma Soludo in June 2022, has been sealed off for forensic examination. Mrs Bianca Ojukwu, wife of Ikemba of Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu a member who gave the revelation early November 2023 in the state also said that over 322 persons had been murdered in Anambra State between last year and this year. The Commission which governor Soludo established to document names of missing persons in Anambra State, is chaired by Prof Chidi Odinkalu, a former boss of the National Human Rights Commission.
Mrs Ojukwu who did not reveal the site of the mass grave also said, “We are living in alarming and anxiety-inducing times. The Anambra Truth, Justice and Peace Commission has concluded its second phase of public hearing. Our Commission headed by Prof Chidi Odinkalu interrogated a total of 39 witnesses who testified on oath, while 243 exhibits were collected during the proceedings.
“The Commission also met with 31 petitioners, including 11 organisations, 19 communities and one individual during the marathon sittings which lasted from October 26 to November 3.
“Some 322 persons were verified as killed or dead as a result of violence as testified by the witnesses, while so many are still missing or their fate not verified.
“Eighteen persons have been categorically identified as missing or disappeared.
“Chairman of the Commission Prof Chidi Odinkalu mandated that the suspected mass grave site be sealed for forensic investigation by pathologists. This will help in unraveling who the victims were and the circumstances of their deaths”.
On Sunday, October 29, the family of Prof Funmilola Adefolalu was thrown into mourning following her murder in cold blood by yet to be identified criminals. Professor Adefolalu until her slaughter by her murderers was an Associate Professor in the Department of Bio Chemistry at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State. But on that fateful day, she was found to have been slaughtered by the unidentified criminals in her residence at the Federal Low Cost Housing Estate, Maikunkele in Minna. Her church members who missed Pastor Adefolalu in the church that Sunday had paid a visit to her home after the church service around 1 pm and discovered that she had been slaughtered. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of Niger State Police Command, Wasiu Abiodun, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), had since confirmed the gruesome murder of the professor to the media.
In August 2023, eight members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) from Akwa Ibom State were abducted by heavily armed gunmen in Zamfara State on their way to the NYSC orientation camp in Sokoto State. The eighth youth corpers were abandoned by Akwa Ibom State government even as the Federal Government deployed feeble efforts to effect their release. As at Tuesday, September 5, 2023, the abductors had demanded for the sum of N8 million balance of their ransom for which they threatened to murder the youths if the ransom balance was delayed.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has revealed that it wasted a whooping N250 million as ransom to achieve the release of 121 students abducted by bandits in Kaduna in 2021.
Chairman of CAN in Kaduna State, Rev John Hayab disclosed that the huge sum of money was paid to the abductors before they released the students of Bethel Baptist High School, Kaduna who were abducted since 2021.
The CAN leader in Kaduna spoke while he led parents and family members of Treasure Ayuba the last of the students who escaped from captivity early November, on a courtesy visit to the state governor, Uba Sani on Wednesday, November 8.
According to Hayab, the bandits tried several means to block the release of Treasure Ayuba, including snatching twice those who took ransom payment to them. “A total of N250 million was paid as ransom to rescue the 121 students. Today, we gather here with mixed feelings; relief, joy and gratitude. We are here to welcome back Treasure Ayuba, the last of the kidnapped students of the Bethel Baptist High School, Kaduna matched out while in their sleep in the school hostel and kidnapped on the night of July 5, 2021 by bandits.
“To the knowledge of CAN, over N250 million was paid as ransom to get the 121 kidnapped children out from their captors, but for Treasure, his story became a heart -breaking one, further made worse by distorting the truth that the boy did not want to leave the den of the kidnappers.
“For the avoidance of doubt, CAN is aware of the efforts made by the boy’s family, relations and well wishers to get him back home. To add salt to injury, on more than one occasion, the kidnappers abducted the persons sent with the ransom to get Treasure out of their hands, making his stay become an infinite time of agonising pain until God intervened”.
In the dead of the night on Monday, November 6, a group of sophisticatedly armed bandits had attacked Sayaya Village in Matazu LGA of Katsina State, killing at least five persons and abducted another seven. The Sayaya Village incident occured barely one day after a similar attack took place in the neighbouring Musawa LGA of the state on Sunday November 5. The Musawa attack occurred around 10 pm when the bandits attacked Maulud Celebration Ground in Rugar Community. They killed about 14 persons who attended the celebration.
Early November, the Western Security Network in the South west Zone, popular as the Amotekun, the Ondo State Command revealed that in the past three weeks from then, armed robbers had murdered over 20 motorcycle riders in the state, carting away their motorcycles (okada). Commander of the Amotekun in Ondo State who is also the Special Adviser to the Ondo State governor on Security Matters, Mr Adeyeye, while parading suspects arrested for various offences on Wednesday, November 1, 2023 said, “In the last three weeks, we recorded cases of no fewer than 20 riders that were killed and their motorcycles taken away. It is even risky for them to ride at night. We want to appeal to them to rest after working for 12 hours so that we can recognize criminals”.
Rattled by the spate of incessant ritual killings in the land, House of Representatives had on Wednesday, November 1, urged the IGP to set up a crack police team to unmask and prosecute the cartels behind ritual killings across the country. The House of Representatives resolution came on the heels of the adoption of a matter of urgent public importance moved under Order 8 Rule 4 on the need to curb the dangerous trend in the killing of young girls for ritual purposes across the polity.
Honourable Awaji-Inombek Abiante who moved the motion at plenary expressed dismay at the recent murder of a 20 years old Miss Justina Otuene, an undergraduate student in the Department of Bio Chemistry at the University of Port Harcourt by Damian Okoloigwe who is also a student of the same institution.
Members of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Kogi State had on Tuesday, November 7 stormed the Louis Edet Police Headquarters in Abuja to protest against the killing of three policemen and some members of the SDP at Anyigba in Kogi State.
Murtala Yakubu Ajaka, the governorship candidate of the SDP in the November 11 guber election who led the protest, demanded the removal and prosecution of the Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Berthrand Onuoha whom he accused of compromise in securing the lives and property of the people in the state.
It was gathered that thugs allegedly operating in the guise of state joint task force attacked the residence of the Campaign Director General of SDP, Sheikh Ibrahim in the early hours of Tuesday. Three policemen were alleged to have been killed in the process, while six supporters of the SDP were abducted.
The Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has insisted that the insecurity in the land under the Tinubu administration is becoming alarming.
The Yoruba organisation stated this on Wednesday, November 8 in a communique it issued after a meeting of Afenifere held at the residence of its national leader Ayo Adebanjo, in Isanya Ogbo Ogun State. The communique was signed by Adebanjo and the Secretary General Sola Ebiseni. They espressed worry over the increasing insurgency in the land in the recent time.
Lamenting that the Supreme Court pronouncement of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the winner of February 25, 2023 presidential election was equal to ratified brigandage, Afenifere stated: “Unfortunately, by the Supreme Court decision, the electoral reforms achieved through the agitations of Nigerians for quality control through technical devices and the billions of naira spent on the infrastructure in that regard are now wasted”, but on insecurity Afenifere added that it “observed the alarming resurgence of insecurity occasioned by the activities of armed cattle herders terrorising farmers, killing, maiming the people and raping women for which some of the host communities are no longer comfortable living with their killer guests”.
US, UK Warn Citizens
On Friday November 3, 2023, the American Embassy in Nigeria issued alert to its citizens in the country via its website warning them of the high threats of insecurity on major hotels in Nigerian cities and Abuja. In a statement on the website the Embassy said, “American Government is aware of credible information on elevated threat to major hotels in Nigeria”.
The American Embassy further advised its citizens to be careful when they are in major hotels in Nigeria, to be alert to their surroundings, to keep low profile and review the American travel advisory for Nigeria.
The American Government had earlier warned its citizens traveling to Nigeria to reconsider crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping and armed gangs whenever they enter Nigeria. The travel alert was issued September 20, 2023.
In the alert, the US linked terrorism and kidnapping with Borno, Yobe, Kogi and Northern Adamawa States. The US linked Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara States with kidnapping, but also identified the States of Abia, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Imo and Rivers States with kidnapping and armed gangs.
In a similar vein, the United Kingdom also issued travel advisory to its citizens, warning them against traveling to states such as Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa because of the off-cycle governorship election of November 11 in those three states. The UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), aside from the three states, also warned its citizens in the travel advisory it issued November 4, 2023 against all travels to Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara States and the riverine areas of Delta, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States.
NPF Alleged Travel Alert
Tentacle gathered reliably that the IGP, Egbetokun had issued a travel alert to the officers and men of the Nigerian Police to be on alert, them and their families, especially in the ember months and the yuletide as the insecurity in the country has become alarming. Competent sources in the NPF revealed that in a Police Force Intelligence Report (FIR) issued by the IGP to officers and men on Thursday, November 2, 2023, Egbetokun had warned all officers to hide their identify cards whenever they are traveling to the South East part of the country. The IGP also allegedly included Abuja and all parts of the Northern Nigeria in the report.
According to the sources, all officers have been warned not to wear expensive clothes or carry other expensive items whenever they are traveling in order to avoid being kidnapped on the road or be robbed. Officers were also told to avoid the use of police stickers and other identifiable security emblems, uniforms, shoes or anything that can identify them as security agents while traveling to any part of the country because these items can expose them to kidnappers and other criminal elements.
Officers were further warned not to rush to identify with people or group of people wearing Army or police uniforms on the road especially in the night because they may be fake security operatives.
