According to former Nigerian vice presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi- a terrorist earns better than a university professor in Nigeria. The insecurity challenges in Nigeria is a gold mine for the ruling class and a land mine for the populace. So far, the government has done very little to ameliorate the situation, surprisingly, the government is armed to the teeth to clamp down IPOB for the littlest crawl. Why is that?
Below are the security challenges in Nigeria and how the government has responded as against its response to IPOB in recent times.
Banditry
The legal term assigned to this group are bandits, their mode of operation define them as Kidnappers, however poor villagers refer to them as Fulani herdsmen. In some reports, the Nigerian govt will refer to them as Miyetti Allah but a quick investigation into the type of weapons they use, their network, their swift actions, their mobility strength and their vast network and syndicate, it is easy to see that they’re terrorists.
Banditry in Nigeria is a financial liberation scheme rumoured to be a syndicate between the ruling class and the perpetrators.
Orlu: Nigerian Army Arrests 20 ‘Alleged’ IPOB Members Over Death Of Civilians, Soldiers
The crime’s interface does not clearly point to a leader, in fact what is clear is that it is a decentralized group of collaborators fully functional in northern Nigeria, whose M.O is kidnapping.
In the month of february and march 2021, a total of 370 school children, nursing mothers and children have been kidnapped and ransom demanded. According to a BBC report in July, in the last decade since banditry became a major industry in Northern Nigeria, 8,000 have been killed in the states of Kebbi, Sokoto, Niger and Zamfara alone.
What’s shocking is that Innocent citizens will drive 10 km alone and meet 10 checkpoints, while Bandits drive 100 km with 317 children but meet no checkpoint; this raises a lot of questions as to the degree of leverage the bandits operate on. There has also been rumours of helicopters dropping weapons and food for bandits.
Government Response
An unnamed chairman of a local government said the community had paid bandits N200m in ransom
Governor Bello Matawalle has also been paying the bandit constantly, One million, two million sometimes, herds of cows- Very lucky folks
Recent alleged payment of 800million naira ransom for Kagara school children
Currently negotiating amnesty
UPDATED: Nigerian Joint Military Force Conduct Airstrike In Orlu (Video)
Boko Haram
Their main goal was to “purify” Islam in northern Nigeria. Boko Haram has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 2.3 million from their homes,[15] and was at one time the world’s deadliest terror group in the world!!!
Government’s Response
*Increase in security budget to $5.8 billion, however, only 10% gets down to the fight for security, the rest are dispersed within the military ruling class
Deployment of forces to Boko Haram central camp- Sambisa forest
Attacks and counter-attacks at the areas of coverage
Operation last hold and operation Positive Identification
Fulani Herdsmen Crisis
Fullani herdsmen, properly called farmer-herder conflict is a dispute that has lingered between and christian farmers all over the country. As known, Fulani herdsmen are nomads, because there are no laws put in place to check their grazing areas, they literally run their cattles wild into farms. The crisis has killed more than 19,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands more. It was previously a northern conflict but recently it has spread to all parts of the country.
Government’s ONLY response
A failed attempt at a RUGA settlement for the farmers
IPOB and ESN
The Indigenous People of Biafra is an unarmed, non-violent separatist group with aim to restore an indept state of Biafra in the South East of Nigeria through an independence referendum. Eastern security network (ESN) is the movement’s security force. August 2020, Nigerian government executed 21 unarmed IPOB members in Enugu state. Bouts of Fulani herdsmen in the region began to erupt, killing innocent civilians. In response, 12 December 2020, ESN was founded to protect the region.
Government’s Response
Ban open grazing
Massive air raids with Mi-35 helicopters, Kral Arms PCP Rifles, Crosman Rifles, SMK Rifles etc. Gamo G1 Air Rifles fit for the military in war populated zones. Orlu is a civilian populated environment.
Execution of 21 unarmed IPOB members in Enugu state.
It is important to know that IPOB and ESN are a secessionist group, Fulani herdsmen crisis is a communal clash, while Bandits and Boko Haram are terrorists.
Comparing the government’s response to each of these groups clearly shows the government’s priority as regards security challenges in the country.
Use Your Force On Boko-Haram, Herdsmen Not In Orlu – MASSOB To Military
Fighter jets are deployed to a civilian populated area in Orlu but not to bandits camp. They instead get red carpets in government houses, photo-ops, protection, amnesty, negotiations, car gifts, rehabilitation for bandits, brand new white clothes for Bokoharam terrorists who maim, massacre, kidnap, rape, steal.
The government would keep silent while certain citizens with higher privilege and access kill others in the name of open grazing but execute 21 persons protesting for freedom from a country they do not feel they belong to.
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