The ambush and killing of 16 security personnel, mostly policemen, by armed herdsmen and local militia gangs in Katsina-Ala, Benue State, is yet another reminder that insecurity remains a throbbing conundrum, and must be confronted with decisive and effective action, Davidson Iriekpen writes
Nigeria was again hit by another tragedy recently when 16 security personnel were killed in an ambush by a combined team of armed herdsmen and local militia gangs at Agu Centre, Katsina-Ala Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State.
The security personnel, made up of policemen and members of the Benue State Civil Protection Guards (BSCPG), ran into the ambush during a clearance operation between Tse Agbami and Agu Centre on the border with Ukum LGA. Their operational trucks were burnt, and motorbikes were carted away by the armed gang.
While the police reportedly lost 11 personnel in the attack, the others were operatives of BSCPG.
Three corpses of the policemen were initially recovered from the scene of the attack, eight others were recovered in an operation led by the state police commissioner, Mr. Ifeanyi Emenari.
The latest attack comes on the heels of data released last week showing that 53 security operatives were killed across the country in just two weeks. The casualties included soldiers, police officers, personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), immigration and customs officers, vigilantes, members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF), and state community watch groups. The figure did not include unreported cases.
Data released last December had shown that no fewer than 326 security personnel were killed between January 2023 and October 2024. They were reportedly killed by bandits, hoodlums, gunmen, Boko Haram terrorists, cultists and armed robbers across the country. In addition to the fatalities, several others were abducted.
Last June, 17 soldiers on anti-banditry operations were killed in the Bangi community, Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State. Though unofficial reports claimed that 20 soldiers were killed in the ambush, a statement by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Apolonia Anele, put the figures at 17.
Since insecurity worsened in the country, not only have thousands of civilians been killed, thousands of security personnel have also fallen too. This makes the rate at which security operatives on duty are being killed across the country increasingly alarming.
While many Nigerians appreciate the risks that security personnel take in the course of carrying out their lawful duties, it has become increasingly important for them to be more proactive in performing their professional duties so as not to become vulnerable to attacks.
They also need to improve their capacity for intelligence gathering and react professionally to intelligence reports to forestall attacks from ambushes by non-state actors.
With disturbing reports of violence across the country, isn’t it high time the federal government took decisive action to end the insecurity ravaging Nigeria?
A country’s security architecture is its pride. When it is reduced to sitting ducks by rag-tag armies of non-state actors as it is happening now, the country loses its pride.
It is therefore important that the government takes a decisive step to halt this sacrilege now and deal decisively with the criminal elements and their sponsors that have been holding Nigeria to ransom.
The federal government must rise to the responsibility of ensuring that this is stopped. The country’s security operatives have paid too much price in the line of duty, dedicating their lives to the safety and stability of the country. The recurring killings should serve as a wakeup call to the government to better equip and motivate security operatives. Security must become the foundation of governance.
Not a few analysts have advised governments at all levels to address the underlying social and economic issues that are fuelling violence. This could involve investing in programmes that address poverty and unemployment, as well as increasing access to education and other basic services.
They also advocate collaboration between governments, security agencies and the communities affected by violence, to ensure that they have a voice in the process of addressing the issues.
There have always been allegations in some quarters that the criminal elements who perpetrate these killings have the backing of desperate politicians who in their bid to cling to power or remain relevant, bankroll them to wreak havoc and destabilise the polity. This is why the federal government must urgently clamp down on them.
This latest killing must not be swept under the carpet like others. It is one too many. The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun was rise up to the occasion. The perpetrators must be fished and dealt with accordingly.
What manner of a country will almost on a daily or weekly basis bury her men in uniform and not look for a solution?
It was against this backdrop that northern elders on the platform of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) recently called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately declare a state of emergency in the entire northern region.
In a statement by its spokesperson, Prof. Abubakar Jiddere, the forum expressed grave concern over the “relentless wave of violent attacks, abductions, and killings” across the region, stressing that the federal government can no longer afford to delay decisive action.
The group called on Tinubu’s administration to adopt a multi-pronged strategy that includes declaring a state of emergency in Northern Nigeria to reflect the extraordinary scale of the crisis.
Another northern group, the Northern Ethnic National Forum (NENF), echoed similar sentiments. The group, a coalition of leaders from the diverse ethnic nationalities of northern Nigeria dedicated to promoting unity and advocating good governance, in a statement by its Convener, Dominic Alancha, said that while the administration has taken bold economic reforms, the deteriorating security situation and ineffective leadership demanded urgent corrective action.
Declaring that its demands were driven by patriotism rather than malice, the group warned that the survival and prosperity of Nigeria, especially the North, hangs in the balance. It called for operations to flush out terrorists, dismantle their networks, and restore permanent order in the country.
Without security, no government — federal or state — can drive policy effectively. Insecurity not only cripples development but also serves as a disincentive to investment. No country can survive, let alone grow, when non-state actors are allowed to wield arms and hold society to ransom at will.
