The widespread insecurity across the country is worrisome. The rise in the spate of kidnapping for ransom across Nigeria, particularly in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) underscores the deteriorating state of Nigeria’s security situation. Not only are homes invaded by armed assailants and people abducted; their families also have to deal with the grueling task of sourcing for funds to pay ransom for their release in the midst of the biting economic situation in the country. The abduction of an entire family in the Bwari area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) early this year, the payment of N100 million as ransom and the killing of one family member is one of many incidents of kidnapping reported in the FCT.
The widespread kidnapping in the country has seen pupils, teachers and a school bus driver abducted in Ekiti State, a monarch killed, and his wife abducted in Kwara State, within one week. Reports surfaced of fresh attacks in Mangu, Plateau State on Tuesday, January 23 in which 25 persons were killed, barely one month after no less than 195 persons were killed and over 10,000 others displaced following attacks in several communities across Bokkos, Barkin Ladi and Mangu Local Government Areas of the State on Christmas eve. There have also been reports of further attacks on communities in Benue State on January 23, in which 30 persons were killed. On the same day, gunmen attacked Yandaka village in Batsari Local Government of Katsina State, where they killed three persons and abducted 32 others.
The response of security agencies to the growing insecurity in the country has been less than satisfactory, despite increased defence budgetary allocation over the last few years. In 2021, the defence budget stood at N966.4 billion, rose to N1.2 trillion in 2022 and then to N1.383 trillion in 2023. The Defence budget for 2024 is N1.647 trillion, about 5.7 % of the entire 2024 budget. Similarly, in 2021, N455 billion was budgeted for the Police, N559 billion in 2022 and N838 billion in 2023. In 2024, the Police budget stands at N969.6 billion.
Despite increased budgetary allocations for security under the leadership of former President Muhammadu Buhari, insecurity worsened. Terrorism and insurgency rose in the North East, banditry seeped into the North West and North Central regions. In the South East, secessionist agitations and the trend of unknown gunmen took centre stage, with the South-South region experiencing frequent incidents of oil theft. In the South West, like most parts of the country, kidnapping became the order of the day.
Nigerians expect the long-standing challenge of insecurity to be firmly and decisively addressed by the Tinubu-led administration. It is imperative for the government to interrogate the root causes of the various dimensions of insecurity in order to devise a lasting solution to the problem, beyond condemnations and reassurances. The Nigerian Government must live up to its responsibility enshrined in section 14 (2)(b) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, which states that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.