They do these under the pretext of a peace dialogue. They do these in the presence of security operatives who should ordinarily put an end to the menace of these miserable specimens of humanity, who are supposed to make sure these perverse elements do not have a place in our society.
In Oke-Ode, a small idyllic town in Ifelodun local government area of Kwara State, the dead bodies of two men were laid on the hard earth in the scorching afternoon sun, a middle-aged woman crouched over the bodies of the slain men, shaking their corpses vigorously as if to ascertain their existential status and bring them back to life if certified dead. She wept profusely and her wailing pierced the quietude of the sleepy enclave that has now become home to terrorists wreaking havoc in many parts of the country. One of the dead men was her husband, the other was her husband’s brother. They were brutally murdered by the terrorists who have picked these hitherto serene and tranquil countryside as their new hotbed of violence.
The terrorists, in a series of vicious attacks and terror unleashed on the town last Sunday, killed at least 12 forest guards and over a dozen vigilantes, including a village head, Several residents were also abducted in the raid, eliciting apprehension and uncertainty across Kwara communities. The incident also sparked outrage and condemnation on social media. However, while exasperated Nigerians continue to express their revulsion at the heinous and dastardly act, as they have since this government assumed office, the president appears to be disconnected from their reality and more interested in propping up his government.
Yesterday, on the occasion of Nigeria’s 65th independence anniversary, President Bola Tinubu made conclusively positive remarks about the security situation in the country. He asserted that “Peace has returned to hundreds of our liberated communities in North-West and North-East, and thousands of our people have returned safely to their homes.” Any Nigerian who has lived in the country and has not been swayed by the government’s propaganda will squirm and recoil in disgust at the state of the President.
It’s either the president is being fed lies about the true state of the nation by his sycophantic aides and courtiers, hence shielding him from the disturbing reality of the nation and the people he leads, or he is not oblivious to the parlous state of the nation and his very much aware of the constant violence and bloodletting but, in his bid to portray his government his good like, chooses to paint a picture that does not reflect the perilous, agonising and deplorable condition of the people.
Tinubu’s speech not only shies away and deliberately ignores the pain, hurt and despondency of the people who have and still are impacted by the deepening security in the country, but it also insults the intelligence and sensibilities of Nigerians. Just last week, right there in Abuja, the very place from where Tinubu superintends over the affairs of the nation, armed robbers attacked an apartment building of eighteen blocks of flats and robbed all the occupants of the flats. During the robbery, Somtochukwu Maduagwu, a staff member of Nigeria’s leading TV stations, Arise TV, was skilled. Maduagwu was one of many young, promising Nigerians who had lost their lives to the rampant, deadly armed robbery attacks in Abuja. A place that should
Also, in recent weeks, terrorists have assumed the role of lawmakers and law enforcers, making the rules for the victims of their heinous activities and settling the terms of peace in the beleaguered enclaves that have now become the playground for their abhorrent and distasteful practices. They do these under the pretext of a peace dialogue. They do these in the presence of security operatives who should ordinarily put an end to the menace of these miserable specimens of humanity, who are supposed to make sure these perverse elements do not have a place in our society.
Tinubu may sing his own praises and try as much as he can to bend reality to his will by downplaying or even outrightly denying the tragedy and misfortune that the incompetence and failure of his government have brought to the people, but Nigerians, from Oke Ode in Kwara to Malumfashi in Katsina, know better. They know they have never had it this bad when it comes to their safety and security. There is no point in time in Nigeria’s history where Nigerians felt insecure and unsafe like they did under Tinubu. An Independence Day speech filled with spurious claims and half-truths won’t change this uninspiring and grim reality. The government needs to move away from propaganda and channel its energy into the hard work of governance, which includes providing adequate protection and security for the lives and properties of Nigerians.