Nigerians, already fatigued by unending daily cascade of ugly stories, again woke up last week to hear another depressing story. It was the story of another mindboggling kidnap of 110 innocent students of Dapachi Girls Secondary, Yobe State. Boko Haram terrorists had invaded the school and carted the students away to an unknown destination leaving parents, people of Yobe and indeed, Niherians in shock and grieve once again. This wicked and unconscinable abduction re echoes the 2014 Chibok Girls saga which jolted the world and drew global condemnation.
The abduction of the Dapachi school girls has not only effectively re established the presence of Boko Haram but has also opened a floodgate of questions on governments position on the sect and war against terrorism in the country. Only recently the government of president Mohammadu Buhari which spoke through the theatre commander of operation Lafia Doyle gleefully told the nation that boko haram has been completely defeated. Previously, president Buhari himself had personally sometime in 2016 declared that the sect had been technically defeated. While these pronouncements were praised in some quaters and criticised in others, this recent incident in Yobe State seems to have put the lie to federal governments claims of having successfully contained boko haram.
Indeed, the dominant feeling in the country today is that boko haram and general insecurity in the country has risen to alarming proportion again. If this was not the case, boko haram terrorists would not have successfully undertaken another large scale abduction and gone scot free without any form of challenge.
To be honest with the APC government of president Buhari the people are alleging that it has not been telling the citizenry the truth about boko haram and insecurity generally. The pervading sentiment is that the government has allegedly been relying more on propaganda, or put differently been playing politics with such a national tragedy. Otherwise, how can a group said to have wiped out several times comtinue with reckless abandon to kill and abduct defenceless and helpless citizens. It is either the sect members have become invisible ghosts that ordinary eyes can see, or government is being economical with the truth on the menace.
Perhaps, government may or, may not know that Nigerians today are of the view that it is failing them on this critical constitutional responsibility. Globally, security and welfare constitute the basis of existence of government. Therefore, any government which fails to effectively and committedly execute these keys duties must be said to have failed both the laws of the land and the citizenry.
To run away from this looming reality, we are of the opinion that now is time for president Buhari to wake up fully from his slumber. He and his aides and security apparachik continue to insist they are awake, whereas the everyday reality and experince say otherwise. whatever is the case it has become obvious that the government must start according security the 100% percent attention from now on. The way things stand at the moment we think Nigerians are ready and prepared to overlook other governmental responsibilities if and only if adequate security of life and property can be guaranteed them. Indeed, if Nigerians can start sleeping with their two eyes closed again, then president Buhari and his party may have given them all that they desire and deserve.
The overall implication of what we are saying is that security is everything. Consequently, the APC led federal government must wake up to critical responsibility or throw in the towel. Time is running out so president Buhari should act now.