Since the return of democratic dispensation in the country in 1999 the Federal Government has done very little or nothing to curb the state of rapid increase in the numbers of state and local security outfits established.
The federal government watched without foreseeing that it was going to be like a timed bomb waiting to explode.
We have witnessed the proliferations of such security outfits like the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Indigenous People of Biafra and now the Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN), codenamed Operation Amotekun all base on sectional organization especially in the southern part of the country.
Due to the reasons best known to it, the Federal Government has done nothing to stop this potential danger with the inherent senseless killings and arsons perpetrated by the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) in 2002 when clashes engulfed between OPC and other ethnic nationalities especially the Hausas living in the South West.
One may recal that at the inception of the Ametekum security outfit the Chairman of the South West Governors Forum, Rotimi Akeredolu, said there was no going back on the operation of the regional security agency, Amotekun, which they are prepared to pursue to its logical conclusion and emphasised that the governors of the region were committed to improving security and are particularly keen to address the rising wave of banditry, kidnapping and farmers and herders’ clashes.
Really, Governor Akeredolu matched his words with action by asking all Fulani herdsmen in the State to vacate forest reserves within the state in seven days
The governor issued the ultimatum while meeting with with the leaders of Hausa/Fulani and Ebira Communities in the state.
Indeed, the eviction notice to Fulani communities offeraed a different dimension to the security challenges.
One of the misfortunes we afflicted with in this country is that our rulers show lack of concern to diversity, every other thing fails and it seem our rulers always mismanage the delicate ethnic and religious balances on which Nigeria pivots.
While in any civilise society leaders must be responsive to diversity. It is the rudimentary ingredient to fostering unity among variegated people. Where leadership This is most unsuccessful point of our rulers.
How the country come to this stage is the failure of the federal government to take proactive measures to address security issues in the country has given rise to non-state actors like local village hunter Igboho and now a big boy with exotic cars in his garage.
What question left unanswered is that the house of Seriki Fulani of Oyo has been burnt by bigotic Youruba youth. Does he live in the forests ?.
Insecurity by itself is bad enough. When those in authority allow it to be layered with ethnic tensions, it is doubly dangerous.
Rwanda is the clear experience. Section 43 of the Constitution, which grants people the right to own properties anywhere in Nigeria, cannot be construed as taking other people’s properties.
Let Rotimi Akeredolu, regional security agency, Amotekun, read the constitution properly.
What they are doing, is a forceful eviction of Fulani herdsmen and is unconstitutional.
Recently Governor Sule of Nasarawa State told us that Boko Haram is regrouping in his state and almost every states in the North facing serious security challenges.
This is a clear indication that the collapse of security system is all over the country and in all this, there are no actionable responses of the federal government.
There are many scenarios running through peoples head, but this particular one scares people a lot.
As the notice expired, Amotekun launched offensives to evict their target, Funalis. a stage is being set for a major confrontation between the Federal Government, herdsmen and the South West States.
Dukawa write in from Kano can be reached at [email protected]
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