While Nigerians across the globe are yelling over what is playing out in America after George Floyd was brutally suffocated in broad day light by Derek Chauvin, a police officer attached to Minneapolis police Department, Bokoharam, bandits and other terror groups have overtaken Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina and Southern Kaduna, turning these States into a killing field. In the last two weeks, hundreds of innocent people including little children have been slaughtered and displaced by these ruthless murderers with little or no action by the present administration of Buhari to bring an end to the butchery.
The war against Bokoharam and bandits in the Northern part of Nigeria has appeared chronic despite the obvious premature proclamations by the security forces that the terror movements have been defeated. Evidently, there is growing fear and disenchantment among Nigerians across the board over the parochial excuses presented by the inept government of General Buhari on why the terror groups have remain defiantly undefeated.
On several occasions, the Nigerian military has boasted that the vengeful and marauding groups tormenting the peace of the region have been decimated and forced to retreat to lake chad where their callous operations have been made ineffective but recent reports and activities of these groups have in a way discredited the ridiculous statements of the Nigerian military high command. Therefore, reinforcing the lousiness of the commanders fighting to arrest the volatile security situation in the North.
It is on record that between 2012 and 2019, the Nigerian military has received a whopping sum of 4.5 trillion naira. Security experts have continue to wonder why these terror groups are still recalcitrant when the military has been receiving enormous budgetary allocation for the past nine years with virtually nothing on the ground to justify it. A disturbing situation that has further touched on the issue of corruption denting the entire strata of the military. Moreover, the insincerity, tribalistic and kids glove approach of Buhari in stemming the excesses of these terror movements is rather making the fight unwinnable.
How can the war against bandits and Bokoharam comes to an end when hundreds of them who were arrested by the military are being shipped to a rehabilitation facility, afterwards released and recruited into the army. A counter productive mechanism which has only inflicted more damage on the country.
The body language of General Buhari is disturbing. Approximately, he lacks the military will to launch a decisive assault which can possibly bring an end to bandits and Bokoharam menace in the Northern part of the country. Under Buhari, Bokoharam and bandits have grown more lethal and daring. It is on record that Bokoharam and bandits have killed more people under his government.
Nigerians should not be carried away by what is going on in America. We can’t be yelling and jumping over the death of George Floyd when in our own backyard, hundreds of helpless Nigerians are being butchered recklessly. It will amount to hypocrisy of the highest order if we should fail to do something. What is the need to chase shadows when our home has been gutted by fire. Charity they say begins at home and not in abroad.
There is urgent need to call on the government of Buhari to account for these senseless killings in the North and beyond. As the president, he swore an oath to protect Nigerians but unfortunately time and events have shown that his oath and promises were mere words designed to deceive and sway Nigerians. No substance and direction.
Buhari and his cabinet have performed very abysmally when it comes to security. Nigerians should have known by now that the end to the military onslaught staged by bandits and Bokoharam is not in sight because individuals saddled with the task of obliterating these security threats are not committed. They are selfish and concerned with their pockets. I call for a change of leadership and approach.
There are thousands of George Floyd in Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina and Southern Kaduna who are waiting for us to yell on their behalf. There is no human life more sacred than another. Nigeria is burning and if something is not done to put out the fire, it might metamorphosed into something more catastrophic. Let’s fix our backyard and leave America to do theirs.
Kalu Nwokoro Idika is a political analyst, investigative and freelance journalist
