A security analyst, Muhammad Abdullahi, has raised concerns over the inability of the federal and Northwest state governments to tackle the growing insecurity in the region, questioning why decisive action has not been taken despite available resources.
Speaking to newsmen in Gusau, Zamfara State, on Wednesday, Abdullahi argued that a coordinated effort by security agencies could force the bandits out of the zone.
“I can assure you that if the police, other security agencies, and military operatives join forces, the bandits would relocate fast from the zone,” he stated.
Abdullahi referenced a famous quote by former Head of State, General Sani Abacha, asserting that “if a crisis persists in a place for more than 24 hours, the government has a hand in it.”
He accused some influential individuals in Nigeria of being complicit in banditry and criminal activities, emphasizing that the persistent insecurity in the Northwest suggests hidden political interests at play.
“Nigerians should not be deceived because many influential individuals in the country have hands in banditry activities,” he lamented.
“Laws Are Made For The Common Man”
The security expert also criticized the selective application of justice in Nigeria, alleging that politicians and elites often escape consequences while ordinary citizens bear the brunt of the law.
“In Nigeria, the law of the land is usually drafted for the common man. If a politician commits a crime and is arraigned in court, he will be freed within minutes because they control the law, and the law cannot control them,” he asserted.
He expressed frustration over how the masses continue to suffer from hunger, poverty, and insecurity while political elites thrive at their expense.
“The same common people are fighting each other in the name of politics and killing themselves because of politicians, while these same politicians are enjoying our resources while we are dying of hunger and starvation,” he added.
“Nigeria Is Still A Country, Not Yet A Nation”
Abdullahi further criticized Nigeria’s democratic system, describing it as flawed and exploitative.
He said, “I have been lecturing my friends and neighbours that Nigeria is still a country, not yet a nation, with the kind of democracy we are practicing in this country, but they refuse to believe.”
He also linked corruption and looting of public resources to the 1990s, insisting that those who lived before that period understand the deep-rooted nature of corruption in Nigeria.
“Corruption, especially looting of public resources, started in the 1990s, and I believe those of us born before that period know this very well,” he concluded.
