Nigeria today stands as a republic where the state has abdicated its sacred duty and handed the monopoly of violence to gangs, warlords, and insurgents. Once the giant of Africa, it now trembles before the shadow of Boko Haram, bandits, and kidnappers who dictate the rhythm of rural life. Thomas Hobbes warned centuries ago that “the condition of man is a condition of war of everyone against everyone.” That Hobbesian nightmare has become Nigeria’s lived reality.
The failures are glaring. Soldiers die with little ammunition, police officers beg for fuel in their patrol vans, and citizens sleep with one eye open. The state that should be protector has become spectator. Edmund Burke’s caution thunders across time: “A government that cannot protect its people forfeits its right to obedience.” Nigerians today obey not out of trust but out of fear.
Where governance collapses, terror thrives. In the neglected North-East, in the bandit-infested North-West, and even in the forests of the South, outlaws carve out kingdoms from state weakness. They levy taxes, impose laws, and offer protection in exchange for loyalty. In this twisted theatre, citizens no longer know who governs them—Abuja or the warlord next door.
The tragedy deepens when political elites exploit the chaos for gain. Terror becomes bargaining chip; bandits are courted, insurgents are paid, and blood is turned into currency. Niccolò Machiavelli once wrote, “It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both.” Nigerian politicians seem to have taken that counsel literally, but unlike true princes, they outsource the fear to terrorists while feasting on the spoils.
And yet, the moral bankruptcy is more alarming than the bullets. A nation that weeps over massacres today celebrates the same politicians tomorrow with music and dance. Citizens become accomplices in their own enslavement. As George Orwell declared, “A people that elect corrupt politicians, impostors, thieves and traitors are not victims but accomplices.” Nigeria’s romance with terrorism is not just by force but also by consent.
Still, even broken states can be reborn. History proves that nations at the brink can pull back if courage replaces cowardice. Winston Churchill once thundered, “An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.” Nigeria has fed terrorism for too long; it is now time to starve it with justice, unity, and uncompromising accountability.
The haunting question is whether Nigeria will choose redemption or continue its dance with death. If the state keeps failing and terror keeps feasting, then this so-called giant may soon collapse under its own weight. A nation that flirts with terror eventually becomes its bride, and the dowry is always paid in blood.
– Inah Boniface Ocholi writes from Ayah – Igalamela/Odolu LGA, Kogi state.
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