An embarrassing day for Nigeria

During political campaigns, insecurity is one of the dominant issues promised to be addressed head-on by politicians. It consists of economic, social and environmental insecurity.
Politicians use insecurity as a campaign weapon to achieve their political ambition. Majority of Nigeria’s lower class are living a life typically described as “hand to mouth”, that is why, whenever insecurity is mentioned in Nigeria’s public space, attention is paid.

Without adequate security, farmers have no chance to cultivate their lands, those involved in buying and selling of farm produce would have nothing to purchase from the farmers; the end result is that, the poor masses would nose-dive into abject poverty that they will have no alternative, thanto join the crime world in order to survive.

During the height of Covid-19 pandemic, several measures where put in place to contain the virus. The virus respects nothing like “higher, middle or lower class” but hunts all. Thus, a special care and attention was given to checkmate it.

In regard to environmental insecurity, most of the people being kidnapped or killed by gun men are people of the lower class, because they have no means to hire luxury cars, private jets to attend their business activities, weddings and they have not enough food in store that can cater for them a whole year. All they have is public transport, old tukombo cars and motorcycles, even the newly highly selective modern railway routes are not designed to favour the common man’s day to day shuttles.

On Tuesday, August 24, 2021, a devastating news broke of deadly attack in the residential area of Afaka Barracks of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna. Two army officers were killed and some were abducted. Unfortunately, this is the type of news that army cadets and their masters only used to read on the pages of newspapers. But, by this sad event, its reality has reached their doorsteps. Ideally, an army barracks is a place with maximum security. Trespassing and carrying out an attack and raid in the deepest part of an army barracks is really worrisome and a terrible news to the civilians, who expect the army to protect the sovereignty of the state, but was attacked right inside its institution.

As usual with the Nigeria’s cyberspace, people are voicing out different opinions in respect to that attack. Some see the whole episode as an embarrassment, while others view it as nemesis that befell the army for their poor security management (as their personnel in-charge of the attacked premises CCTV were asleep when the attack occurred). Personally, I see this as a wake-up call to all the security agencies to face their primary assignment of securing the lives of all else, if the situation deteriorates beyond this, nobody will be save. Furthermore, this attack portrays the never-seen-before boldness and challenge these bandits and terrorists pose to all, for, if they can penetrate the army’s highest academic institution and attack it with ease, then no place is safe, except, may be the Aso Villa.

May peace reign.

Sagir Ibrahim
ibrahimsagir1227@gmail. com 07019718681