Nigerians, especially those living in the northern part of the country are learning and adapting to an unusual lifestyle – they have gotten accultured to living in fear on daily basis.
In the past 12 years, they have had to live with the reality of the existence of the Boko Haram elements. These notorious hoodlums have killed, maimed, kidnapped and destroyed properties belonging to law abiding countrymen and women.
Till today, innocent girls from Chibok and other settlements are still being held captive.
The issue of insecurity in this part of the country was further brought to the front burner last week when the news of the massacre of over 70 rice farmers in Borno State broke.
Most ‘armchair critics’ were quick to point accusing fingers at the Federal Government. They wondered why the government could not suddenly transmogrify to become ‘magicians’ and suddenly flush out the ‘bad boys’ from Sanbisa forest and other dark corners of the northern part of Nigeria.
The problem of insecurity in the country started like a joke. It has festered to the extent that the ‘lucky’ parts of the country not directly affected are now feeling the heat.
Reasons for this are not far-fetched – able bodied young men from the north have now migrated to the south and are becoming serious social liabilities. Farmers in that part of the country have abandoned their farms. They have technically invited famine into the society.
These developments have thus, indicated that it is time for armchair critics to essentially get involved in the serious business of finding solution to the insecurity issue after all, ‘it the sky falls, nobody will be spared’.
It is time for all and sundry, especially well-meaning Nigerians to come forward or come together to find lasting solution to the menace.
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!
