Insecurity has a far reaching negative multiplier effect. No one is excluded from it claws. It is able to sink a nation into endless trademark of sorrows, tears and no joy. Once upon a time, somewhere in Jos, Plateau state. I was a very young boy of about fourteen living in Plateau state, Nigeria. We were all sitting in our beautiful classroom when we suddenly heard a big bang like the thunder clap of ten Sango gods. We all scampered for safety. There shouts of “anfara” which means that there is a crisis in town. Even as I write, I am able to recall how my whole being shivered without control on that very day and the impact thereafter. Ever since, i have resolved never to settled in troubled zones anymore. Whatever the case, I am very certain that the likes of Zamfara, Maiduguri and elsewhere- what they are going through is probably twenty times more excruciating than the many Jos crisis.
The last ten years has been a very tough one for many Nigerians. Today, it is nearly impossible for the giant of Africa to sleep with both of her eyes close. It is correct to say that Nigeria is under a siege- more like we are having a staged managed government. Unfortunately, we know and do not know our very own enemy- After all, the enemy within is far greater than the one without. In essence, it is generally believed by many that the embers of insecurity continues to get fanned by some velied members in the corridors of power and other useful idiot from elsewhere. Useful idiots who must have probably had a rough and an unequal start to life or those brainwashed with sermons that justifies violence. Since this is the case, tackling incidences of insecurity here in Nigeria is directly equal to trying to fill up a woven basket with water- It all amount to wastage of resources.
Ideally, a square peg is best suited for a square hole. Note however that Nigeria is quickly sinking into it lowest point. Why so? Well, when Pastor Paul Adefarasin earlier advised that every Nigerian should get a plan B escape route, he did so because he felt that there is a great danger looming behind the corner. The Nigerian security architecture has been greatly depreciated. Like a taxi man who consumed all the profit made on alcohol, it is only right to say that there’s fire on the mountain and run we shall to only God knows where.
Just yesterday, I watched a woman tell her own story. She was stripped naked and raped alongside her husband and daughter by some kidnappers on the Abuja/Kaduna route. I was moved to tears. This isn’t the Nigeria of our dream. At the end of that video, that woman and her family vowed never to visit Nigeria again. After all, home is where you find peace.
We may act like it’s nobody’s business. The nation just lost some of her best security personnel. According to the US, Nigeria is passing through a difficult phase. It is one thing to pass through a phase and it is another thing to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Sadly, at the back of our minds, we all know that sometimes, people die in tunnels. Until there is a deliberate shift away from our old pattern of doing things as a country, there’s definitely no light. You are free to forbid it but…
– Olayinka Kayode Kingsley
Email contact: olayinkakayodekingsley@gmail.com
