Just before I picked my pen to drop a piece about the recent blast in Abuja, I was greeted with the news about the 100 or 200 school girls abducted in a village in Borno State. It’s quite unfortunate that Nigeria’s situation has got to crescendo level where virtually all aspects of life are calling for urgent attention. Nonetheless, the issue of insecurity is the most important as you can only seek employment, good roads, electricity and other basic amenities of life, only if you are alive and well. In this vein, my heart goes out to all the victims of the insurgency and their families and I pray that God should bring an end to these inhuman activities.
Although the average Nigerian believe that activities of insurgents are restricted to the north east of the country, the reality is that virtually every part of the country is not safe. It is no more news that, north western states like Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina have not been spared of the maiming that has become the talk of the day in the nation. This is not forgetting the rampaging marauders in North central states like Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau states. This is a simple sign that insurgency is going viral and needs drastic action.
The latest development in the spate of attacks is most unexpected and unpredictable because government appeared to have taken vital security measures around the Federal Capital Territory to avert any form of invasion. The explosion that rocked the densely populated Nyanya motor park left dozens dead and scores critically injured. A palpable level of frenzy, anxiety and hysteria enveloped the nation’s capital city as business activities were immediately brought to a halt. Fear of what would happen next and where became the immediate issue of discourse among both private workers and public servants in Abuja. Bereaved families are still moaning loudly as innocent promising lives of loved ones have been cut short by terrorists. The rate at which innocent Nigerians die as a result of bomb blasts by alleged members of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, has become a source of concern to many Nigerians.
This should be a major source of concern to residents of the nation’s capital and the country at large. This is despite the seeming believe about the impregnable nature of Abuja city due to the level of security presence in and around the Federal Capital Territory. And barely 24 hours after the Nyanya bomb blast pandemonium broke out at the premises of the National Assembly as staff hurriedly abandoned their duty-posts as early as 1.30p.m following rumors of a bomb planted somewhere within the premises. Expectedly, everyone had fled for their lives within a twinkle of an eye. This goes more than many miles in subjugating the fact that, there is need for intensive security consciousness.
For some time now, the federal capital has been relatively peaceful. As a matter of fact, the last of any form of insurgent activity happened towards the end of 2011 when there was an improvised explosive device explosion at the Mogadishu Barracks (formerly Sani Abacha Barracks). Afterwards, security agents have been on their toes to checkmate any form of attack in and around the seat of power. During period, an attempted jailbreak by suspected Boko Haram insurgents was foiled at the Department of State Security headquarters.
The Nyanya attack serves as a clarion call to Federal Government in concomitance with all the security agencies that there is much to be done to safeguard the citizens of this nation within the FCT and other areas affected by terrorism. We sure never can tell where the next attack would come from, if the nation’s capital is not really safe. Commentators have suggested that there is an urgent need for security agencies to step up their act and involve the use of intelligence in the fight against these terrorists, since a stitch in time saves nine.
Finally, there is need for critical safety measures in densely populated areas like popular markets, motor parks and other public places. Everybody should always remain alert and security conscious. Security agents can only identify and track flashpoints. It is the responsibility of citizens to be conscious of strange movements and wary of inane objects for security and safety purposes.