Too much of sorrow, tears and blood

In Kano, there was a bomb blast at the School of Hygiene along Bayero University Road on Monday 23rd, where about eight people were confirmed killed while several others sustained various degrees of injuries.In neighbouring Kaduna State, a group of unidentified gunmen, on the same Monday, attacked a village in Sanga Local Government Area where […]

In Kano, there was a bomb blast at the School of Hygiene along Bayero University Road on Monday 23rd, where about eight people were confirmed killed while several others sustained various degrees of injuries.
In neighbouring Kaduna State, a group of unidentified gunmen, on the same Monday, attacked a village in Sanga Local Government Area where about 18 people were confirmed dead with many more injured. The attack, which followed what seemed like a reprisal pattern, also led to the killing of yet-to-be-identified number of Fulani and destruction of their houses.
Hardly had the dust raised by these senseless killings in Kano and Kaduna states settled the nation was faced with another horrendous bomb attack on Emab Plaza, a very busy shopping mall in Abuja where business activity is always high with hundreds of people attending to one thing or the other in and around the plaza. The bomb was reported to have killed 21 people, with 17 injured and about 17 vehicles destroyed.
Bombing and mass murder by what is fast gaining ground as ‘unidentified gunmen’ or ‘terrorists’ is becoming a regular occurrence in Nigeria, especially in the northern part of the country. The result is the pervasion of general state of fear and insecurity across the country while those in authority continue with their common phrase of ‘government is on top of the situation’ and that it ‘will guarantee the security of life and property’.
The question is when did we get to this? How did matters got to this level? Nigerians have degenerated to unimaginable brutality at a time when the proliferation of mosques and churches as well as the claim to religiosity is at an all-time high. This is a symptom of how low the nation has sunk — and if care is not taken, may even sink deeper.
One frightening thing about this unhealthy development is not just on the attacks themselves but also the approach of the state and its security agencies in addressing the crises. In most cases, when these crimes are committed, the security agencies often come up and tell the nation that the suspects were apprehended, but that is usually the last that is heard about the arrest. Where are all the suspects arrested after these bombs or attacks on defenceless communities?
We believe that the arraignment of these suspects and keeping the public informed about their identities would go a long way in assuring the people of the effectiveness of, and securing their support for, the war against these crimes.
Another issue of grave concern is the seeming eagerness of many people and the security apparatuses of the state to simply claim that these crimes, no matter their intensity, were committed by the Boko Haram group. The security agencies have lost the essence of forensic science in crime detection, management and administration. What is happening to all the human and material resources supposedly being devoted to this aspect of our security infrastructure? Why are they not being put into use?
The security organisations in the country must wake up to their responsibilities by ensuring that every crime committed is handled dispassionately and investigated in a thorough and professional manner, instead of providing ready-made answers whenever such ugly developments occur. The war against terror and other forms of crimes can best be waged through the collective efforts of the security institutions and a mobilized citizenry.