In A Country Where Crime Is Rewarding, Obedience To Law Is Useless, By Concern Youths For Justice

Written By Concerned Youths for Justice and Development
The biggest tasks of every government is to protect and secure it’s citizens against all threats that will endanger their lives, property and maintenance of law and order to ensure peaceful coexistence.
Nigeria and Nigerians from 1999 to date is passing through the most difficult times of it’s existence as a results of rising crime rates and insecurity from Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), Niger Delta Volunteer Force in the southsouth, Bakassi Boys and Indigenous People of Biafra in the southeast; Odua People Congress (OPC) in the southwest and Boko-Haram in the north.
The emergence of these groups and other criminal gangs resulted into the death of thousands citizens, destruction of property worth billions of naira. Added to these, kidnapping becomes another criminal enterprises that puts the lives, property and safety of Nigerians in serious dangers. Cattle rustling and banditry added a salts to the grievous dangers the citizens found themselves particularly in the northwest where Zamfara and Katsina becomes high risks states to live or pass through.
Problems of crime and insecurity are major problems that must be tackled swiftly with all the seriousness it deserves in order to protect the innocent citizens maimed, killed and terrorized by criminal gangs.
The detorioration of security negatively affected all sectors of the economy and stagnated our development.
Among all the above mentioned ethno-regional groups boko-haram insurgency is the most dreaded that claims thousands of lives, destruction of property and displacement of over one million people particularly the masses, poor and less privileged who are the easy prey, accessible and vulnerable to attacks.
Boko-haram that started it campaigns of violence from the northeast, gradually extended it violence to northwest and northcentral that makes life horrible in the areas affected that almost crippled business, commercial activities and economy of Kano State which is the commercial city and center of the north.
The problems of insecurity makes the people in the affected areas to hates the previous administration specifically the horrific attacks of boko-haram insurgents and used their votes to sacked PDP and brought APC due to the high expectations they have on Buhari’s courage, confidence and determination to deals with the security challenges that makes living in some states risky.
After the swearing-in ceremony on 29th May, 2015 the government of President Muhammadu Buhari tried it best to liberates the territories under the control and occupation of boko-haram that weakens it’s capacity and audacity to attack at will anytime they wishes.
In dealing with crime and insecurity the government is expected to take stringent measures that will adequately, decisively and effectively to deal with criminal to punish them and deter others from engaging in crime that will threaten lives and property.
At the time the government is doing well on boko-haram insurgents, kidnapping, rural banditry and cattle rustling keeps increasing in the northwest which diminished the gains of the government in the fight against boko-haram which resulted in the resurgence of boko-haram on one hand and escalation of banditry and kidnapping on the other hand.
Be that as it may, the security of lives and property is now fast detoriorating particularly in the North which forced people that can afford airtickets to use flights or speed trains.
At this crucial times we expected the government to punish the criminal swiftly in accordance with the gravity and seriousness of the offences committed as prescribed by our laws.
However, instead of seeing deterrence what we are seeing is not encouraging from amnesty and dialogues with the bandits and amnesty to boko-haram insurgents and their released as the so-called repentants insurgents.
The fight against insurgency is not yet over, but the government do not fully assessed the risks of those released to further make the security worse. Going by the media reports, one of the commanders of boko-haram captured and released by the government was also rearrested fighting government troops. This is a clear indication that the repentance is not real but fake. Releasing insurgents captured by the Nigerian forces is demoralizing and devastating.
With due respect to the former Governor of Yobe State Distinguished Senator Ibrahim Geidam the Bill he presented on the floor of the Senate seeking for the establishment of Repentant Boko-Haram Agency is an insult to the victims and their families who were left with horrible and traumatic experienced for lost of their love ones, property and those still living in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP’s) Camps.
Nigerians and international analysts kicked against this bill which is insensitive to the agonies of the victims and their families that took away their happiness and future prospects more especially those who watched them killed their presence and property destroys to see those responsible getting better rewards and treatments instead of severe punishment proportionate and commensurate to offences committed.
In the heat of the reactions against the establishment of repentant boko-haram agency, another devastating deliberations follows to award overseas scholarship to the repentants insurgents which shows that, the concerns for those behind these welfare packages do not shares the agonies and griefs of the victims and their families.
At this trying period, what every responsible and sensible person should do is to take giants steps to assess the actual damages and destructions of lives and property as a results of boko-haram campaign of violence that completely removed happiness and future hopes and prospects to thousands families affected. Markets, Schools, Hospitals, Motorpacks, Mosques, Churches and other public places were destroys and many settlements were destroys and forced to leave their ancestors homes including Palaces were not spared.
What is easily discernible and a clear message to Nigerians is that crime pays more than obedience to the law and loyalty to the constituted authorities. The inference we can draw from these recent development is that, the more violent you are the more rewards you will get from the government. Insurgents, kidnappers, bandits and other criminal gangs are having a field days while obedient citizens moves in perpetual fears and risks of attacks wherever they go.
Our stand is “victims first not their attackers”. It will be disastrous and more frustrating for the victims, their families and concerned citizens to see those responsible for mayhems accorded preferential treatments of kings while the victims were left in difficult situations and neglected.We are appealing to the government to drop any idea and plans that are not victims oriented.
By Concerned Youths for Justice and Development