Mr. President, Calm Down The Killings -By Muhammed Saheed

It’s gradually getting out of control. The country is no longer at ease as blood keeps gushing out of every nook and cranny of the country. If not Boko Haram today, it’ll be herdsmen clash tomorrow. Kidnappers are orchestrating their operation carry for ransom. And genocide like killings is becoming increasingly unbecoming and intractable in some parts of the country. It drags tears out of one’s eyes. Should we continue like this? I heard you murmured NO!

Such is bound to occur in a country where billions of naira go into extinction without a reasonable account of how the monies are spent judiciously. While the society battles the bloodletting from people who guise beneath the bush, the ‘constituted thieves’ are dipping the country’s economy into the mud by carting away monies meant for developmental projects. Shame! But never mind. No one will question them since the monies are used to ‘take care of themselves.’

From where I stand, I can argue from now till tomorrow that the government is dealing with the insecurity with gloved hands. Indisputably, It’s as if the president who came on board on the template of fighting insecurity and corruption is not doing anything to bring an end to the mindless and gruesome killings as well as gross misconduct of funds within the purse of government in the country. Much is expected from you in terms of insecurity for people are dying day in day out. Mr. President, please take charge!.

Seven days back, an online newspaper the Premium Times reported that no fewer than 38 persons were killed on Monday night in separate attacks on two villages in Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna state. “21 people were killed in Fadan Kashi while 17 killed in Nandu,” according to the council chairman. July 20th, another wave of violence broke out which left 14 people killed and an unknown number of sustained different degrees of injury.

Gunmen suspected to be Fulani militia on the 25th of July reportedly invaded Agwala Magayaki of Doka Avong in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, killing seven persons, including an 85-year-old man. Some locals were declared missing. During the attack, houses were razed to ashes.

At least 11, people reported killed by gunmen in another attack in Gora Gan Village of Zango Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The attack came barely 24 hours after 21 people were killed by bandits at Kukum Daji village in neighboring Kaura Local Government Area.

The massacres in Kaduna has been tagged with religion and ethnic coloration. It doesn’t depict the real definition of the happenings in the state. The killing isn’t limited to a particular religion or ethnic group. Muslims are being killed so as Christians. As such, we should all come together to stamp out the rampant killings in the country. Terrisiom has no religion or ethnicity. Take it or deal with it.

If one is to continue reeling out the number of operations being carried out by the (un)known terrorist, till dawn one won’t cease from counting. It’s so bad that just yesterday, unknown gunmen invaded Agbudu community in Kogi-Koton-Karfe Local Government Area of Kogi State, killing 14 persons and injuring six. Out of the 14 people killed, 13 were from the same family. Pathetic!

Enough of excuses. The killings can’t be stopped by releasing press releases commiserating with the affected family. We can’t wait till ‘fortitude to bear the loss’ letter gets to everyone before drastic actions are map out to avert continuous killings in the country. If we continue to fold our hands when we’re to act, things will get from bad to worse. The president needs to halt the killings if he wants to save his campaign of fighting insecurity from subjecting it to object of mockery.

I will urge Mr. President to ‘calm down’ and strategize with the service chiefs on how to stop the killings.

Muhammed Saheed is a political scientist.
He writes from Kwara state, Ilorin.
ayodejiosioyemi2@gmail.com