By Samuel Abasiekong-Abasiekong
Before we, 9newsng.com take you around the whole gallery of the ugly scene of dehumanization of lives in Nigeria in parts one and two of this report, it has become very glaring that insecurity is almost overwhelming government strategies and has hitherto remained unchallenged with corresponding forces.
The helplessness of government in the face of insurgencies since the advent of democracy in Nigeria till date has committed us to research ways out of this quagmire where we in our 9News Nigeria Editorial Board meetings always ask ourselves this question: Isn’t the Federal Government of Nigeria incapacitated in the face of terrorism?
As an agenda-setter and the fourth Estate of the realm, 9NewsNigeria wishes to resolve this puzzle by way of proposing a lasting solution to the Federal Government of Nigeria through this report even as these occurrences are becoming a daily routine.
Even at that, while we were still pondering on why the FG always appears impaired in all cases of insurgencies in all parts of the country, another national tragedy occurred on August 16, 2023, as eight prospective corps members of Akwa Ibom State origin en route Uyo by Akwa Ibom Transport Company AKTC to Sokoto state were kidnapped in Zamfara State, and they are still not released 100 days running.
As insecurity is forcefully instituting itself in the country and is striving without sufficient reprisals from the government, kidnappers again abducted Miss Imaobong Samuel another prospective National Youth Service Corps member transiting Uyo to Kogi State for NYSC mobilization.
Miss Samuel was abducted with 11 other passengers of Akwa Ibom Transport Company AKTC on Tuesday 2nd November 2023.
So far nine prospective corps members of Akwa Ibom State origin have been in kidnappers’ den between August and November and the appropriate authorities are merely holding meetings and condemning the act without actions leading to the release of these soft targets.
Having 9 corps members plus 11 other Nigerians in the kidnappers’ den for 100 days is not a story that usually tickles the Federal Government in any way.
The proof is that, in this same county, 274 students were abducted in Chibok by Boko Haram insurgents from a public girls’ school on April 14, 2014, in Borno state, North East Nigeria’, and their endless stay with the insurgent earned them the proverbial name: ‘The Chibok girls’
On February 19, 2018, another 110 students were again abducted in Government Girls School Technical School, Dapchi Yobe State by Boko Haram
While the Federal Government under President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration at that time after serial public outcry secured the release of 178 girls abducted from the government school Chibok in Borno State, 96 were still in captivity and oftentimes, we see 2, 5 released, but hitherto all the 96 have not regained freedom including Liya Sharibu one of the Christian girls which public opinion says she was forced to denounce our Christian faith to Islam.
Nothing is heard about the Chibok girls anymore. And, after the prevalent abduction of school children in the North East, and viral activities of banditry in the North West, the monster of insecurity has switched over to hostage-taking of Corps members.
In Nigeria, security agencies are fond of announcing the number of deaths and survivors of insurgencies. But more often than not, arrests are not made.
This is evident in not-too-recent cases like the hostage-taking of March 2022, where bandits abducted a host of passengers in a train en route Kaduna – Abuja who even threatened to abduct Muhammadu Buhari who was the sitting President of Nigeria at the time and Governor Nasir El-Rufai Governor of Kaduna if both would not meet their demands. That national insult to Nigeria’s first citizen was seen in a video they (bandits) published while flogging the victims. Even at that, no substantial arrest and prosecution has been made to date.
Very low or no premium is placed on the lives of Nigerians despite the huge budgetary allocation and spending to acquire the best security gadgets and training of security personnel of the largest economy in Africa.
In part two of this report, I will reel out a comprehensive list of several thousands of cases of killings, abductions and breakdown of laws and order which came and were left unchallenged at the doorstep of previous administrations.
These should not happen in the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. A threat to the life of a single Nigerian should mean a threat to all.
As a father of many children, how would the President feel if one of his children is taken hostage by terrorists on his/her way to NYSC mandatory service?
100 days still counting for 9 prospective corps members and others in the abductors’ captivity is traumatizing youths who just rounded up their studies and were on the threshold of contributing their quota to the Nigeria project.
Mr President should kindly look into the case of these prospective corps members in the den of kidnappers as a matter of national public importance and deploy necessary rescue strategies to ensure the prospective Corps members are released. It’s very possible.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari was fun of always saying he was not aware of cases which even happened at his doorstep.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should be a clear departure from that style of governance.
Nigerians have high expectations from the incumbent president and they should not be laid down.
In my quest to listen to the opinion of others over this report, a respondent said, that if the corps members abducted were expatriates the Federal Government would have done everything within their powers to ensure they are released. That sounds true. Yes, true, because it has happened likewise before.
Looks at this:
On March 8, 2012, a British national by the name of Chis McManus and an Italian known as Franco LamoLinara were abducted in Sokoto state, northern Nigeria.
Because of how valuable the life of each Briton is viewed by the United Kingdom, David Cameron the UK prime minister of that time called former President Goodluck Jonathan to immediately ensure that the Briton was released, Johnathan complied with immediate effect and the two foreign nationals were freed.
This was done because they (all UK government) value the safety of their citizens. Moreover, Johnathan expressly went for the release of these two expatriates because Africans value Westerners more than their own.
While Johnathan deployed the last military strategy to rescue the two expatriates who were abducted on March 8 2012, when they abducted 274 Chibok girls in April 2014 he did not deploy that same speed to rescue them. Some were released, and others were not until Johnathan ended his tenure.
To be continued as Part 2.
©️Samuel Abasiekong, French & English languages Journalist, Researcher, and Public Affairs Analyst.
Here reporting @ 9News Nigeria
Email: abasiekongabasiekong@gmail.com
