…Experts highlight grave consequences on society
Insecurity has remained one single challenge that touches on everyday life of Nigerians and the government at all levels.
The presence of assorted criminal elements and non-state actors who illegally bear firearms has become a serious concern to right-thinking members of the Nigerian society.
Reports of invasion of communities by criminal gangs, who in some cases wipe out an entire community of people with AK-49, have become commonplace.
What has remained a serious concern to many Nigerians is the source of the firearms and who are the possible sponsors.
Views are divergent on the sources of the firearms that are being used to carry out the dastardly acts.
Why some analysts say they may be procured from outside the country by the rich sponsors of the bloody campaigns, some say that there may be an unholy alliance between the terrorists/bandits/robbers and compromised security personnel, who now supply the guns for monetary exchange.
There is also a school of thought that believes that some of the guns were taken away after some ambush operations of the terrorists against the Nigerian soldiers. They also say that some guns may have been stolen from police personnel after coordinated heavy attacks on officers as have been recorded in some parts of the country in this dispensation.
Read also: Police dismiss reports of 3,907 missing firearms as misleading
Whichever is the case, what is being established is that Nigeria is losing an incredibly high number of firearms to criminals, which has now become a subject of inquest at the National Assembly.
In his inaugural speech, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu promised to put security at the top of his administration agenda.
Tinubu had promised, among other things, to provide security personnel with better training, equipment, firepower, remuneration, among other reforms.
Across the country, Tinubu’s speech was like a sweet-melody to many citizens in view of the bitter experience Nigerians had witnessed in the eight years of the previous administration headed by Muhammadu Buhari.
Tinubu’s speech boosted optimism on the street among Nigerians that perhaps they can now sleep with their eyes closed.
Close to two years down the line however, that ray-of hope seems to have faded and disappeared.
Across the country in recent weeks, the security situation seems to have deteriorated.
Kidnapping for ransom, robbery, spate of terrorists’ attacks and banditry have been on the increase, despite claims by the military and security agencies that they are on top of the situation.
“Things are not getting better despite the frequent pronouncements from security chiefs vowing to crush these criminal elements, Nigerians see little progress.
“Personally, I advise we should seek external help, let the government get mercenaries from outside the country,” Temitope Musowo, policy analyst, told BusinessDay.
Musowo further stressed that the present administration appears clueless over tackling the situation, advising that the government should dialogue with agitators.
Cases of kidnapping for ransom and killings have been on the rise in Anambra State, where the state Governor, Charles Soludo, in a bid to tackle the worsening security situation in the state and across the South East, set up a security outfit, Agunechemba vigilante group last month.
The governor also signed the Anambra State Homeland Security Bill 2025 into law establishing the vigilante. recently, the mutilated body of Anambra lawmaker, Justice Azuka kidnapped since December and killed by kidnappers, was discovered at the second Niger Bridge in Onitsha.
In Northern Nigeria, insecurity has also escalated lately, especially as some states recorded increasing attacks on soldiers and civilians by terrorists in the last few days.
Last month, at least 27 Nigerian soldiers were killed in a jihadist suicide attack in the North East, while troops launched a ground offensive on a stronghold of Islamic State-affiliated militants in a wasteland straddling Borno and Yobe states.
This comes after reports that some police firearms were unaccounted for.
The 2019 Auditor General’s report, presented last week to the Senate Committee by Samuel Godwin on behalf of Shaakaa Chira, revealed that 178,459 firearms, mostly AK-47 rifles, were missing from police formations nationwide.
“As of December 2018, a total of 178,459 firearms were unaccounted for, including 88,078 AK-47 rifles. Additionally, as of January 2020, at least 3,907 assorted rifles and pistols remained missing,” the report stated.
Many lawmakers in the upper chamber had expressed concerns that firearms meant for law enforcement could have fallen into the hands of criminals, worsening Nigeria’s security situation.
However, in a letter addressed to the Senate President, which was read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, described as false the allegations in the Auditor-General for the Federation’s 2019 audit report that the Nigeria Police Force cannot account for 3,907 rifles.
Many citizens have raised concerns about the reported disappearance of nearly 4,000 firearms from police formations across the country and called for a thorough investigation into the situation.
Hameed Muritala, media and development practitioner, lamented the security situation in the country and the increased reports of kidnaping for ransom and the missing arms, saying that it raises serious concerns about security and accountability within the law enforcement agencies.
He said that there was the urgent need for enhanced oversight, stricter inventory management, and transparency in the handling of state-owned arms.
“While I want to believe that some of these missing firearms might have been stolen from police officers attacked and killed in the line of duty, the number of reported missing weapons is alarming and inconceivable.
“Cases of unchecked missing weapons pose a serious risk to national security, potentially fueling crime and violence.
“Relevant authorities must take immediate steps to investigate these lapses, recover missing arms, and implement robust mechanisms to prevent future occurrences,” Muritala said.
A recent survey showed that about 80 percent of Nigerians felt unsafe in their country.
Many citizens say President Tinubu administration must do more to secure the country, noting that the President must keep his campaign promises.
For now, many think nothing has changed from what was seen in the previous administration of Buhari.
For some experts, nothing may change until the country is restructured and states granted powers to have their police.
“Let him restructure the country and allow state police and you would see improvement, I bet you the federal government can’t do much under this circumstance. Nothing may change,” John Uwanna, public affairs analyst said.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said that a total of 1,463 people were killed by non-state actors while 1,172 Nigerians were kidnapped between January and September 2024.
According to the data from the commission, the month of May recorded the highest number of persons killed with 298, while March recorded the highest number of abductions with 499 kidnap cases.
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