Time to stop the senseless killings

I have been searching my soul for answers to why a group of faceless criminals should take lives even of the innocent and young Nigerians as if they are doing it for a just cause. The recent Yobe killings that have once again called the attention of the world to our country for the wrong reasons is one killing too many. At the last count, it is on record that about 60 or so pupils of Government Unity Secondary School in Yobe were sent to their early graves by the messengers of death called Boko Haram.

It is a clear demonstration of sheer ineptitude and incompetence that up till now, the Federal Government cannot put a final stop to the Boko Haram insurgency in spite of the claims that it is on top of the situation. In a serious country, President Jonathan will not even seek re-election because by now he has already proven that he is a resounding failure. I learnt that the security forces took off one hour before the insurgents arrived apparently running away to fight another day. This is understandable because they cannot match the insurgents in terms of fire power and morale.

A situation where we continue to lose lives in this manner cannot be excused anymore. It is beginning to look unlikely that the Federal Government can win this war. For if a war still restricted to a particular region of the country cannot be won, what if it spills over to other parts of the country?
Only recently the new Chief of Defence Staff told the whole world that by April the security forces would have put paid to the Boko Haram insurgency. Not to talk about a man of his stature in the military playing to the gallery, the group is doing everything to prove him wrong. Unless we can effectively man our porous borders, these merchants of evil are not going away anytime soon. The time is now for government to prevent further killings. I only hope that those who are saddled with the responsibility of keeping us safe are listening.

Emmanuel Ogundele,
Lagos