Few weeks ago, one would be forgiven to think that Nigeria has been overrun by kidnappers and terrorists judging by the way isolated incidents of kidnapping and brutal attacks on communities by some bold criminal elements in some parts of the country received free publicity from many Nigerians. Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory particularly seemed to be under invasion by scores of kidnapping battalions.
Families such as the Najeebah sisters were basically kidnapped on a wholesale basis in their homes by kidnappers, a couple of interstate commercial buses on transit along federal highways had their passengers kidnapped, traditional rulers were kidnapped from their palaces, even school children and their teachers were not left out as kidnappers swooped on a school bus and kidnapped school children and their teachers after profiling them. The Plateau was literally on fire with many distant observers already beating war drums of genocide against Christians. Calls for right to bear arms for self-defence were rife.
As very unacceptable and embarrassing as these incidents were, they equally revealed a side of some Nigerians that is worrisome. Apart from the exaggerated scale of the insecurity problem being portrayed by many especially on social media platforms, it was shocking to see some Nigerians celebrating the kidnap of their fellow citizens just because the victims or their states likely voted a presidential candidate in the 2023 presidential election different from their own choice of candidate!
However, these incidents seem to have happened a lifetime ago judging by the relative calmness and massive improvement in security being witnessed across the country. This highly noticeable reduction in insecurity did not happen magically or in a vacuum, it is a result of concerted efforts by Nigeria’s armed forces and the government at various levels to stem the descent into chaos and total breakdown of law and order.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in one of the security meetings he held with the service chiefs, the NSA and other heads of security agencies directed that the security agencies must do more to crush rising criminality across the country. In the FCT for example, which was becoming the epicentre of kidnapping, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike in collaboration with the military and the police increased the heat on kidnappers through certain proactive measures including placing of bounty on wanted suspects.
A raft of successful operations carried out by the police and the military yielded immediate results and impact. For example, Chinaza Philips, who was a notorious kidnapper terrorizing Abuja metropolis was apprehended in Kaduna. The Nigerian Army neutralised bandit kingpins in Igabi, Giwa and Birnin Gwari LGAs of Kaduna State. The FCT Police Command also arrested some notorious kidnappers in Lugbe and Pyakasa area of Trademore in Abuja, while recovering N9million ransom in the process.
On the disturbances in the Plateau, troops of Operation Safe Haven apprehended the attackers causing mayhem in Kerang Mangu in Plateau State with a significant cache of arms and ammunition recovered. The Najeebah sisters whose kidnap had generated nationwide attention were equally rescued by men of the Nigerian army. In Taraba State, the military ambushed and arrested a wanted notorious kidnapper, Janet Igohia with N1.5Million of suspected proceeds of ransom payment. The Nigerian Police also arrested a couple of Abuja-based kidnappers and gunrunners while recovering weapons.
In Ekiti State, the South West regional security outfit, Amotekun and the police stepped up to flush out rampaging kidnappers/killers of monarchs and rescued school children and their teachers that were kidnapped. Patrol of federal highways by the military and police joint teams drastically reduced incidents of kidnapping of road users. Even the activities of non-state actors in the South East have dipped as the military has been hunting them relentlessly. In the various theater of operations by the military, relative calm is prevailing
There is a sense of calm pervading across the nation currently. Ironically, those who literally celebrated the rise in insecurity and amplified them seem to be mute at the moment or possibly angry that Nigeria’s armed forces are taking the fight to the criminals, bandits and terrorists. There are signs of even greater things to come in terms of security as Nigeria gets ready to take delivery of 12 attack helicopters from the US and scores of unmanned aerial vehicles and surveillance equipment. Intelligence gathering is equally receiving a lot of attention.
With the efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to engineer a bottom up approach to the issue of security as seen in his recent meeting with the state governors and his disposition to state policing, Nigeria may be on the road to a lasting solution to our historical security frailties. All these of course require total support by the citizens and an unwavering belief of Nigerians in our security agencies. As citizens who would be on the receiving end in an insecure nation, we do not have a choice other than to support our security agencies to rachet up their efforts.