By Fredrick Nwabufo
I was a witness to that day. When the sun crimsoned, the wind roared, and the earth bled. It was the Nyanya bomb blast of April 2014. By cheer happenstance, I was within the area, though removed from the immediate theatre of the carnage. TheCable broke the unfortunate story. I was a staff member of the newspaper at the time.
The thundering blast ripped through the evening air. It was deafening and jarring. Fear and anxiety seized the busy Nyanya junction, which became gridlocked in a barbecue of human parts. Confusion simmered. Making sense of the situation instantly was a bit difficult. What had just happened? Could it be it? And yes, the fears were confirmed.
This experience survives in the recesses of my mind. The trauma never really leaves.
At the time and in subsequent years, Nigeria grappled with a number of security challenges – Boko Haram, kidnappers, bandits, terrorists, and the like. Swathes of territories were carved out by terrorists, the roads became gateways to hell, violent agitations tore at the very fabric of the nation, and school children became merchandise for criminals.
But over time, Nigeria’s security forces have been dutiful in pushing back the frontiers of terror. We must always thank and appreciate our security agencies. They are our last line of defence. They are awake while we are asleep – far removed from the warm embraces of their families to keep us safe.
President Bola Tinubu pledged to ensure the security of life and property, especially as security is a fundamental ingredient for attracting investments and fostering the growth and survival of businesses. The President has been absolutely faithful to his solemn pledge.
As Commander-in-Chief, President Tinubu is silencing the guns on the roads, returning confidence in road travels; he is restoring peace to farmlands, boosting agricultural productivity; removing threats even in forgotten places, and building a cohesive society where recourse over dispute among divergent groups is dialogue and not war-war.
It is important to underline the critical role of the Office of the National Security Adviser under Mallam Nuhu Ribadu as regards pre-emptive, kinetic, non-kinetic, and conciliatory approaches to a myriad of security concerns and potential concerns. There has been a clear demonstration of forward-thinking, innovation, adriotness, and professionalism in the coordination of security apparatuses.
It is not all blue skies as security is always in a flux. But we are not where we used to be. We have gone a leap forward. With the President’s bold and transformative leadership, the ambits of peace will continue to expand, and Nigeria shall continue to prosper.
Nwabufo is Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Engagement