Escalating Insecurity: A Wake-Up Call for Every Nigerian
By Ayshatu S. Rabo
In the span of just one week, Nigeria has been shaken by a horrifying series of violent attacks. Brigadier General Uba and three soldiers were abducted and brutally executed in Borno State. Sixty-four civilians, women and children among them, were taken in Tsafe LGA, Zamfara State. Twenty-five female students and their principal were kidnapped in Maga, Kebbi State, while the vice principal was killed. Thirty-eight worshippers were abducted from a church in Eruku, Kwara State. A policeman was murdered in Geidam, Yobe. Eight Civilian Task Force members were killed and three abducted in Gwoza, Borno. Fifteen people, including nursing mothers and infants, were kidnapped in Sabon Birni, Sokoto, with two fatalities. Four rice farmers were murdered in Edu, Kwara. And in Agwara, Niger State, 52 students were taken from a Catholic school.
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All of this unfolded within a single week. It is shocking. It is tragic. And it is absolutely not normal.
Nigeria is bleeding, and the situation is spiraling beyond control. It is time for every Nigerian to wake up. Security is not, and can no longer be seen as the responsibility of government alone. Every citizen must become more vigilant. When something seems suspicious, report it. Take ownership of the safety of your community. We cannot simply wait for the police or military to arrive before taking preventive action.
We must also confront a painful truth: sometimes we are part of the problem. Tribalism, religious intolerance, political manipulation, and hatred are tearing us apart from within. Meanwhile, the same politicians who divide us for their gain dine together, do business together, and marry into one another’s families. Yet we allow ourselves to be used as tools for conflict.
Bandits, Boko Haram, and kidnappers do not ask whether you are Christian or Muslim before killing or abducting. They do not care about tribe or political affiliation. So why do we allow these divisions to weaken our unity at a time we need it most? Even the international community is beginning to question our stability.
Among ordinary citizens, envy, bitterness, and needless hostility are becoming commonplace. Some even pray for the failure of others. But before we condemn everyone around us, we must ask ourselves: are we truly perfect? Are we free of the same flaws we criticize?
Social media has only made things worse. Rather than using these platforms for creativity, progress, or innovation, many have turned them into tools for blackmail, misinformation, cyberbullying, and clout chasing. Talents are wasted daily. If I had the power, I would enforce responsible digital conduct.
Nigeria needs a collective mindset overhaul. We must restore our sense of nationhood — free from tribalism, religious prejudice, and toxic political loyalty. Our survival depends on unity. Only by standing together can we rebuild this country for the sake of our future and that of our children.
May Allah bless and protect the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Escalating Insecurity: A Wake-Up Call for Every Nigerian