BY DAN OWEGIE
The killing of a lecturer with the Igbinedion University, Okada, Late Mr Kelvin Izevbekhai, by suspected herdsmen/ kidnappers last week is one killing too many. His death threw the University Community and indeed Edo people into mourning. His alleged killing by herdsmen from far away Northern Nigeria in an alleged kidnap operation is a reflection of an alarming state of insecurity in the country.
The confirmation of his killing by the Edo Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mohammed Dan Mallam that the lecturer, was killed in an attempted escape bid when the victims were being marched into the forest by the kidnappers doesn’t seem to add up.
The story that the gunmen were operating near Okada junction along the Benin-Lagos highway and abducted Izevbekhai and other passengers in a bus they were travelling in, and that while the driver of the minibus was said to have fled into the bush along with four other passengers, Izevbekhai was the only one shot by the gun men is totally unacceptable.
The police claim that it went after the kidnappers in the bush and succeeded in rescuing the victims but did not apprehend any of the herdsmen/kidnappers is more of a cock and bull story that is hard to believe. We expected that just as the police claimed it freed the other kidnap victims, it out to have apprehended those who kidnapped them or at least kill some of them as well.
The killing of Izevbekhai a la the massacre of innocent Nigerians by Fulani herdsmen in Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Adamawa, Yobe, Borno, Benue, Taraba, Kogi and many other states across the country raises a couple of issues why President Buahri and our security operatives need to up their game. The lunch of Operation Puff Adah by the police to contain the menace of these heartless and wicked murders leaves a sour taste and heavy hearts amongst peace loving Nigerians.
Even in Edo there have been countless cases of cult-related killings which has seen so many young persons of the age range of 14-30 being dispatched to their early graves. For close to ten years or more running, killings in the state associated with cultism have continued unabated. Parents and some religious leaders in the state who encourage their wards along this lethal life path need serious re-orientation because the issue of security is beyond the use of guns for solutions.
The situation in Borno is also still worrisome where Boko Haram has continued to unleash mayhem in boarder communities. Killings in Borno State have showed no respite, as no fewer than fifty persons were killed while 46 others sustained various degrees of injuries when Improvised Explosive Device, IED, was triggered at various parts of Maiduguri over the weekend. Spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, in North-East, Mr. Abdulkadir Ibrahim said corpses of the dead had been evacuated while 45 persons injured in the suicide bomb attack are receiving treatment in Maiduguri General Hospital. The incident of Boko Haram takeover of Muna in Madagali Local Government Area by Boko Haram shows that the claim that the insurgents have been defeated in the area is a misrepresentation of facts. Serious action is required to crush Boko Haram elements across the country.
The killings and kidnap along the Abuja- Kaduna road remains a serious problem. The bandits have continued to make travel along that road unsafe and unreliable and majority of them as narrated by victims are said to be Fulani herdsmen. Same people reportedly descended on villages in Kaduna and begin shooting into the air before setting houses ablaze. Scores are said to have been killed in such attacks. Most worrisome is the report that most of the bandits appear to be more sophisticatedly armed than the nation’s security personnel chasing them. Bandits were said to be armed with AK-47 guns. Part of what the issue is now is the source of arms and ammunition of the criminals.
It must be made known loud and clear that Nigeria is a circular state, and nobody can force his religion or belief on others by any means. Nobody should ride on the back of government to perpetrate evil in the land. Nigeria and Nigerians deserve some peace and development. It is the duty of government to do so, with support of citizens. Nigerians must support the security agencies to rid our communities of bad eggs and criminally minded elements. Refusing to support government may mean exposing your selves and families to danger which may consume anyone on the long run.
We must, as a nation, promote the sanctity of life among religious leaders, particularly those of Islamic extraction. Prophet Muhammed (SAW) represents peace and he preached peace all through from Mecca to Medina and everywhere he went. Certain norms and beliefs by those promoting violence and mindless killings across the country under any guise of kidnap, insurgency or religious extremism must be discouraged across board.
The security operatives are doing their utmost best. But a lot is still required of them. The international community must not only be interested in war against corruption in Nigeria. They should also take interest in security of lives and property in Nigeria. The Fulani herdsmen menace is not only a big threat to Nigeria but the whole of West-Africa sub-region. The humanitarian crisis that the situation will unleash if allowed to continue unchecked is of unimaginable proportion.
Security agencies on their part must change their tactics of engagement. They should also form common synergy to stem the rising spate of insecurity across the country. President Buhari must at this point know that the buck stops on his table. He must be courageous and prove to Nigerians that he is a friend of all Nigerians and friend of nobody in particular.
- Mr. Dan Owegie is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Edo State.
