Terrorists who attacked, bombed and kidnapped passengers that boarded Abuja-Kaduna train recently have issued a new threat. The terrorists in a short video clip released last week were seen flogging the helpless train abductees and threatened to kidnap the Governor Nasir El-Rufa’i of Kaduna state and President Muhammadu Buhari.
Governor El-Rufa’i said that President Buhari was not aware about the threat until he told him. The presidency has described the threat as laughable and a mere propaganda. However, for Nigerians who have continued to witness frequent attacks by bandits and kidnappers, the threat should not be seen as a propaganda or treated with kid’s gloves.
There are many incidents which have proved that these criminals are emboldened in recent times. First, the bandits ambushed Mr President’s advanced team in Dutsin-ma, Katsina state and killed two of his security officers. They attacked the Kuje Correctional Centre in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and freed over 900 hardened criminals including members of the dreaded Boko Haram terror group.
The latest attack on Guards Brigade which led to the death of two soldiers who responded to distressed call from Law School in Bwari, in the outskirt of Abuja, buttressed their audacity and seriousness to hit more targets.
The dangerous activities of bandits in Katsina, Zamfara, Kaduna and Niger states, bordering the FCT have made these places unsafe and vulnerable. There has been a spike in abduction in the FCT communities by suspected bandits. The rampant cases of kidnaping for ransom in the villages of the nation’s capital did not come to us as a surprise.
Last year, Governor Sani Bello of Niger state raised an alarm of infiltration of Boko Haram into his state. The governor said that the murderous members are few kilometers away from the Abuja. The statement credited to the governor has put to rest the rumours of their presence in Abuja.
If terrorists could be so daring to carry out such coordinated attacks in strategic locations and get away with their destructive actions, any threat from them should a source of worry to Nigerians. Already, the Kaduna-Abuja road has become a no-go area. The train services which serve as alternative to Nigerians have been severally attacked.
Even our airports are no longer safe. Many Nigerians have expressed fears that the criminals want to take over the nation’s capital after they killed, abducted and drove thousands of villagers from their ancestral homes in the North-west states.
Instead of describing their threat to kidnap our president as empty, the government should act fast to thwart their plans. The terrorists will attack more places unless their evil plans are exposed. They need to succumb to fire superiority of our security men. The current war against terrorism in the country has failed to produce tangible results.
There is the need for government to re-evaluate its strategies and come up with workable solutions. Let government find out whether there is correlation between banditry and illegal mining in Zamfara and other states in the North-west. Disturbingly, it seems the bulk of ransom paid to the kidnappers usually end up in the pockets of their sponsors.
Evidence has shown that whenever these kidnappers are apprehended, they look famished and dejected. This has proved that they are being armed, funded and controlled by conflict merchants. Through effective intelligence gathering, government can identify their sponsors, arrest and prosecute them according to the laws of the land.
There is the need for government to embrace technology in its war against terrorism. With drones and other technology based weapons, the hidden places of these criminals could be spotted and bombed. In the 21st century, we don’t need to stick to analog or asymmetric war against terrorism. Nigeria should rather go digital.
Ibrahim Mustapha,
Pambegua, Kaduna state
08169056963.
