Nigeria’s Federal Government has allocated a massive sum of N14,063,279,559,996 over eight years to the country’s security agencies while acts of violence and insecurity continue to occur. A recent analysis has shown that this allocation has gone to the various security agencies and their coordinating ministries from 2015 to 2023. Despite this huge budget, insecurity has worsened in Nigeria with several states becoming killing fields, and incidents of kidnap-for-ransom increasing.
On April 4, bandits kidnapped two policemen and 32 others in Niger State. Similarly, in Zamfara State, bandits kidnapped 80 people. In Benue State, bandits attacked an internally displaced persons camp on April 7, killing over 40 persons. A similar attack occurred in Umogidi village of Enetekpa Adoka district in Otukpo Local Government Area of the state, with no fewer than 50 people killed. Meanwhile, in Ruji, Kaduna, 33 persons were killed on April 17, 2023, and just recently, the Plateau crisis resulted in more than 125 dead bodies being recovered and given mass burial.
Amid the ongoing insecurity, the Defence Headquarters has reportedly blamed the vastness of some areas in the northern parts of the country, as well as lack of timely information from citizens, for troops’ inability to prevent some of the attacks in the region. The military high command says that as long as residents of these areas cooperate with the military, there would be no safe haven for terrorists.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Musa Danmadami, spoke during the Bi-weekly briefing of the military in Abuja, stating that operations are ongoing across every length and breadth of the country, and that there is no hiding place for terrorists as long as there is cooperation with the civil populace and they are reporting information to them.
In conclusion, it is noteworthy that despite the government’s allocation of huge sums towards combating insecurity, Nigeria’s problems with insecurity persist, resulting in the loss of lives and property across various states. The government must focus on getting security agencies to work with precision and efficiency to eradicate this threat to national peace and security.
