All across the federation, citizens have bitter share of horrendous tales on insecurity, insurgency and plethora of challenges owing to the nefarious activities perpetrated by bandits, kidnappers, Boko Haram, herdsmen, assassins and others.
Lives are lost daily even beyond counts and sadly we seem to have accepted this as part of our lives as Nigerians. For how long are we going to continue grappling with security crises across the country?
It is clear that the pattern of criminal activities in Nigeria has been regionalised — insurgency and herdsmen crisis in the north; kidnappings and militancy in the east and south; ritual killings, assassination and kidnappings in the west. The upsurge in criminal activities across the country is frightening.
In the South-west, the rising spate of insecurity in region birthed the “Operation Amotekun” and so far it has received widespread commendations from many and few backlash from those who brought in sentimental views.
It therefore appears that this complementary security outfit which has fought its way through for survival upon the unveiling by the South-west governors, is set to replicate itself in other regions of the country and now the nation is set to witness an avalanche of “Operations” – Obunigwe in the east, Amotekun in the west and Shege Ka Fasa in the north — all directed towards tackling insecurity.
Before the emergence of Amotekun, we have series of “Operations” still standing, with all targeted towards protecting and securing lives and properties of Nigerians. We’ve many of the operations under the control of the Nigerian Army such as Operation Sting, Operation Positive Identification, Operation Python Dance, Operation Crocodile Smile, Operation Ayem Akpatuma, Operation Lafiya Dole, Operation Harbin Kunama and more, yet the nation is still suffering from the hands of criminals.
While these operations to tackle different threats to the nation’s security are still ongoing nationwide, there is need for more actions and less explanations. It is also understandable that no country in the world is alien to insecurity; hence there is need for a firm and critical re-evaluation of the performance of security agencies in handling the current situation in Nigeria.
Threats posed by separatist groups, religious extremists, ethnic militias, bandits and other criminals which defy the efforts of the Nigeria Police that are solely responsible for internal security shows there is the need for collective and synergised security arrangement by the federal, state and local governments rather than trading blames and politicising matters.
Alao Abiodun
