Terrorism in Nigeria: The next episode -By Abdullahi Muhammed

In Nigeria terror attack has become everyday topic of discussion. Hardly can a day pass without a report on terrorism or ethnoreligious crisis, especially in the northern part of the country. Be it Boko Haram, religious crisis, banditry, herdsmen-farmers clash, all the menace accrue to render many children orphans, and many women widows. Whereas many homes relocated to IDPs, with no idea on when they will return to their various houses; What do you think will happen to these children as they grow? Of course, they will grow up with the mentality of taking revenge of what had happened to their parent. This may keep the circuit to continue looping. As a matter of urgency, we must draw the attention of government and every person in authority to prevent the occurrence of next episodes of terrorism.

A study by John Hopkins University confirmed that “losing a parent to suicides makes children likely to die by suicides themselves.” Meanwhile children may mimic what even led to their parents’ death. This is because the life will not have any meaning for them anymore, they feel rather die like their parents than remain alive. Therefore, making them psychologically imbalanced and prone to attacking others.

According to Global conflict tracker, Boko haram alone have killed more than 37,500 people since May 2011 and displaced more than 2.5 million people in the lake chad basin, additionally, tens of thousands are being killed innocently due to ethnoreligious and other crisis. For example, in Katsina and Zamfara thousands of people have been killed by bandits; in Taraba, Kaduna, Benue and Plateau State, many people have been killed as a result of religious conflict.

Regrettably, the head of the house is always targeted. In most cases in Northern Nigeria, a men usually have more than one wife and many children, when he is being killed, many family members will be left with no helper at all, thereby forcing small children or women to take responsibilities of the family. Consequently, this causes school dropout and make the children mindset inclined to money at earlier age, that will make them to think of whatever means they can raise money to keep their family.

The implication is that, these children can go extra mile to steal, and when they grow up, new breeds of robbers emerge. This trauma and depression is also the ultimate cause of substance abuse, prostitution among others all in the name of providing relief for their pain and grief.

The government is yet to do anything to save those orphans from being exploited by the nefarious and non-patriotic citizens. The similitude of these children is perhaps what breeds Boko haram that government is spending millions of dollars in fighting against, which up till now remains in futility. Has the government taken its responsibilities and given these children knowledge as well as provide all the basic amenities for them, they may have been pride to the nation.

According to UNICEF about 10.5 million children aged 5-14 are not in school and one in every five, “World out of school children” is in Nigeria. what do you expect from such children? Of course, enmity to the government. These are the kinds of members Boko haram and other allied terrorists are looking for.

As a matter of fact, government should be ready to fight another episode of terrorists, if this 10.5 million are allowed to grow up in our midst with no education and parental care. Therefore, urgent measures need to put in place, to moderate the consequence of that possibility. Government should not hesitate till when it is too late.

Government should do anything possible to end insecurity in the country; Boko haram, banditry, ethnoreligious, farmers/herders’ crisis. The affected families should be taken good care of to cushion their grief for loss of their loved ones, where houses are destroyed, government should build for them and provide grant to support their small-scale businesses; the Orphans among should be given a scholarships, so they can have a quality education. Otherwise terrorism will never be a history, rather reemerging in phases, from generation to generation.

Abdullahi Muhammed

geoabdallahm90@gmail.com

twitter: @Abdulla59122171