Groups Demand Action From Buhari Over Escalating Insecurity

As the state of insecurity continues to spread pitching some ethnic groups against one another, groups of concerned Nigerians from all ends of the country and international bodies are calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to take decisive action to save the country from threat of disintegration.
The United Nations, UN has alerted through reports, that panicked Nigerians are already seeking refuge by fleeing into neighbouring countries like Niger and Republic of Benin.
Fears were heightened by the food blockade tactics adopted by some northern food and cow sellers early in the week to press home demand for a back-down from South West marching order on Fulani herdsmen to quit following killings and vandalism in their land.
As Nigerians bemoan their dehumanizing experiences in the hands of the armed herdsmen, the federal government had been silent only releasing weak orders to the country’s security heads to go after the bandits but refusing to declare them criminals or terrorists thus giving them impetus to up their game.
Of recent abduction of school children has become the trend forcing states up north to halt boarding services or close out rightly since it is becoming clear the federal government cannot guarantee their safety anymore. Some governors are making regional security arrangements with the Buhari government claiming it is constrained to act because of fear of killing innocent victims in pursuit of the vandals.
That excuse has been described as lame and unsatisfactory in the midst of growing tension.
“The federal government must recognize that this country is sliding into a pit. These are signs of anarchy and the president can no longer feign lack of awareness. He must act fat and decisively to help matters.
“The same government that did not look back before bombing Orlu should declare these rampaging herders terrorists and genuinely go after them instead of half-hazard approaches that endanger our security personnel.
“This is the first country I have seen playing games with terrorists and watching citizens fear without making effort to quell the demon tormenting them,” an exasperated Nigerian told this publication.
A Global Rights Mass Atrocities report on the country for 2020 revealed that 2002 persons were kidnapped and 4, 556 persons killed between January and December 2020, of these, 3,858 were security personnel -467 soldiers, 197 police officers, 16 from the Navy, six from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC and six Customs officers.
Global Rights disclosed that 6,135,000 arms are in the hands of non-state actors while government security have 556,000 and advised against negotiating with organized criminals. “Negotiating with organized criminals does not offer permanent peace.”
The US based human rights body challenged the government to lead by example by respecting the rule of law, avoiding blanket justice and protecting the human rights of citizens, noting that the current worsening state of affairs in the country was forecast in its 2019 report.