DENNIS OGU

Some individuals who identify themselves as “Tinubu’s Supporters” recently called on journalists and the general public to stop the publicity they give the activities of terrorists and kidnappers. This followed the recent terrorist attacks in Oyo and Borno States and the publicity given to them. According to them, such publicity emboldens the terrorists and their sponsors to inflict more injury on citizens.

From all indications, it is clear that those people are not security experts, or if they are, they don’t mean well for the country. And there is every reason to believe that they don’t mean well for Mr president and his government. There is also need to stop such individuals and their likes from making public statements or from saying anything that is capable of hitting the public space, because they are undeniably deceiving the public.

In the first place, there is this Nigerian adage that “if itchy buttocks are exposed, the healing process begins.” Terrorism is not one of the regular crimes: it is not just a crime against the state, it is a crime against humanity. Contrary to whatever those people are saying, keeping mute over such crimes will definitely worsen things. It will make it look like what they are doing is not a problem to the society.

Again, citizens will become more vulnerable because the terrorists will be having a field day since they would feel no resistance in their hideous crimes. How can a person with conscience watch a crime take place or have knowledge of it without reporting it? That will mean sabotaging his conscience or sabotaging the collective effort of the society. And how else will the security agents get information about security situation in the affected areas? Even so, choosing to be silent in the face of any crime at all means complicity let alone a crime of this magnitude! Terrorism.

Even though the crimes are often given publicity by the terrorists themselves to threaten the people and blackmail the government, these our friends who have chosen to be blind to reality need to be made to understand that if the members of the society themselves fail to make public such crimes, it means endangering the society. Publicising such crimes makes the government and security agents know whether their efforts in fighting insecurity is yielding any positive results or not, and then they would re-strategise. It is only those who want the society destroyed that will cover such crimes or keep silent about them.

But then, what exactly is the primary duty of the government and the security agents? Whose duty is it to protect the lives and properties of citizens? Even the president they claim to be supporting, is he not the chief security officer of this country? What will he gain if such criminal acts are not brought to his notice? What will he gain if the citizens he governs are wiped out under such circumstances ? What will he gain if those terrorists continue to have their way without being apprehended and checked? Of course, it is a general knowledge that he would gain absolutely nothing and will definitely not be a happy man that such calamity is taking place unchecked under his own administration.

Since those our friends claim to love and support him, their primary concern should be to ensure that such cases are reported without delay to the appropriate agencies so that there  would be an effective action towards apprehending the culprits and curbing the menace. Contrary to what they want us to believe, it is obvious they want to sabotage Tinubu’s government because it appears they don’t consider insecurity as one major issue Nigeria is facing presently.

Imagine having about forty-six little school children and their teachers taken away from Oyo State to an unknown destination, about forty-two children also taken away from Borno State; one of the teachers from Oyo State has been beheaded while the rest face the most inhuman treatment on daily basis simply because they are Nigerians. Similar terrorist activities have been taking place in the country before now, and somebody somewhere is saying “enough of such reports”, that they are being blown out of proportion! What level of report and how many times can such issues be reported and be described as too much? So long as they keep happening, they must be reported! What crime is more tragic than taking or endangering the life of innocent citizens? And children for that matter? If they were the victims or the victims were their relatives, would they describe the report as blown out of proportion?

Once again, this is not the first of its kind in Nigeria. It has been happening in several states such as

Borno, Plateau, Benue, Kaduna, Kwara etc. And here now, some people who are supposedly in their right senses are saying that the report is blown out of proportion? Is this not a challenge to the Nigerian security intelligence? Is it not time we shouted it in the ears of the government and security personnel? Is it not time they took the bold step and saved this nation from anarchy and doom?

They even made bold to say that the insecurity didn’t start with Tinubu’s

government. Who is saying that insecurity started with Tinubu’s government? And what is wrong if

Tinubu’s government goes into record as the government that ended insecurity in Nigeria? Wouldn’t they like posterity to hear such about the same person they now claim to support?

They claim that the security reports constitute a distraction on the government, and that the many reports make it look as if the government is doing nothing about it. Do they think that they are doing Tinubu’s government any favour? Or are they trying to protect the government? The government has all it takes to protect itself and the people of Nigeria. The government of Nigeria is the symbol of our independence and national integrity. Such ugly reports of terrorism, banditry and kidnapping should be a painful sting on their buttocks that forces them to spring from their comfort seats and fight to protect the citizens. If the government does what it is supposed to do to address insecurity, the ugly and terrifying reports won’t be repeated let alone be blown out of proportion.