By Akintayo Balogun Esq.

The entire Kaduna State Federal road network was finally brought to a standstill when a train, coming in from Abuja to Kaduna on Monday, 28th March 2022 was bombed, derailed, and attacked by terrorists, who have been holding the entire State and most of Northern Nigeria hostage in recent years. It was reported that the terrorists took charge of the train for over an hour before the arrival of higher fighting powers of the military men. Unfortunately, at the time of the arrival of the military men, several of the train commuters had been kidnapped and taken away (and are still in custody as of the time of this publication), some had been killed and many shrieked in pain from bullet wounds or psychological torture.

This torture might remain with many for the rest of their lives. The attack on the train has now established the fact that all routes in and out of Kaduna State are seemingly under the control or easy interference of these terrorists. Railway lines in recent years since the continuous and recurrent attacks on the roads by terrorists had become a haven for commuters. Many people had abandoned the roads for a long time now. Unfortunately again, the airport in Kaduna State has limited flight circles. The area surrounding the airport in Kaduna has been one of the least safe places in town, so the railway had just been the needed solution/succor, for which it had effectively served commuters the past few years. However, this latest dastardly act has rendered the security situation in a town near hapless. Only recently, the airport was attacked by these same terrorists in a commando-style that was filmed by a pilot or someone in the cockpit of an airplane that had just mounted the tarmac. Just before this attack on the airport, there was a dastardly attack that had become a recurrent occurrence on several communities within the Kagoro chiefdom of Kaura Local Government Area of the State, where it was confirmed on official figures that 34 persons were murdered in cold blood including two military personnel and several other persons injured.

We must acknowledge that this latest attack on the rail lines touched on everyone. The high and the mighty, the low and vulnerable, the uniformed and civilian were all affected one way or the other. Many high-profile Nigerians have been known to travel vide the rail lines in recent times but are now jittery to embark on any of such journeys. I have been in the same coach with a serving senator, a past Governor, and several top military officers on some of my voyages on the rail line. All that might not happen again for a while until there is the assurance of safety on every side.

Today, neither road, rail nor air can be guaranteed 50% safety to and from Kaduna State. I still wonder how the State that once was the pride of the northern part of Nigeria, has been reduced to a nearly conquered empire of terrorists, bandits, and generally men of the underworld. It beats my imagination that the State that boasts of the highest number of military and police formations in Nigeria, could be reduced to a training ground for this man of the underworld. One of the recent reports online has it that these men of the underworld have killed 1, 545 Nigerians between Zamfara and Kaduna state in the last 90 days. How appalling could this situation degenerate?

The Kaduna State government seems very helpless as the situation has moved from bad to incredibly bad. The latest position by the Governor proves this situation as he stated that the State will be forced to go for foreign mercenaries if the Federal government cannot come to the rescue of the state. Once upon a time, we were told that Nigeria boasted of one of the best ground troops in the world and still ranks as number 4 among the powerful military formations in Africa. What has happened to this rating? One of the statements credited to former Head of State, Late General Sani Abacha was that “any insurgency lasts more than 24 hours, the government has a hand in it”. Do we say the Government knows more than we know and have been deliberately leaving Nigerians at the mercies of these hoodlums? What has happened to the yearly funds being borrowed, budgeted, and pumped into tackling this insurgency/banditry that has rocked the Nigerian State to its foundation?

Should the State Government wait for the Federal Government to act when it has become almost obvious that the Federal government is either unwilling or acting weak or is overwhelmed by the activities of these hoodlums?

One of our greatest hopes in the sitting government of Nigeria at the center, when it came into power in 2015, was its supposed ability to handle the security situation in Nigeria. If there was any strong hope I had for Nigeria in 2015 about this government, especially as it is being led by a retired General, I believed the security situation will be well handled and brought under control. Alas, seven years down the line, the situation has moved from bad to miserable. The issue of insecurity was limited to certain sections of the country, but today, the entire country seems to be overrun by terrorists, unknown gunmen, herdsmen/farmers clashes and agitation for secession from all angles, etc. We did not have it this bad or this spread a few years ago. If at the end of 8 years, the situation is still like this, then I must state emphatically that this government has failed us. Painfully, many public officers serving under this government have refused to accept the reality of insecurity in Nigeria. Recently, an official of the government was quoted to have said that Nigeria is safer under the present administration than in previous times. Wow… what an errant absurdity! Strangely, people in power see things that are not as though they are, all in a bid to protect their paymaster and their pockets. Enough is enough. Nigeria is already following with too much innocent blood.

To my mind, the issue of terrorism, insurgency, and banditry seem not to be handled well. There is this kid-glove coloration to this fight, which has kept the country spinning on the same spot endlessly. It is time for the government to come out of this shell and break the barrier. It is time to nip this crisis in the bud before the nation is overpowered.

The State Government should stop waiting for the Federal Government to act. It is time to act. It is time to strategize, it is time to take matters into its own hands. One of the biggest smears on the Kaduna State Government is this security issue. We must commend the State Government for giving the State a facelift in its road network, but until this security issue is dealt with, it remains a scar on the face of the State. It is time to act more decisively.

The intelligence security network of Nigeria should wake up to its responsibility. To whom much is given, much is expected. So much is pumped into this system but we see little or no impact in the security sector. Reports allegedly had it that there were rumors of an imminent attack on the train that night, unfortunately, the intelligence system did nothing or probably did not know about this attack. It is time to put in place every detector and every intelligence necessary to nib the crisis in the bud. Our borders are too porous, every human being in Nigeria, especially foreigners must be profiled and monitored to the barest. Reports of mercenaries coming into Nigeria have been on the front burner for several years, yet no decisive action has been taken to deal with the issue. There is no better time than now to profile all foreigners and to do the necessary.

Furthermore, reports have it that several police officers have been positioned along the Kaduna expressway. For me, this is just a form of damage control. It does not deal with the real problem. It is only hibernating the problem for a later date or manifestation at a different location. The battle should be taken to the enemies at their gate, they should be disarmed and demobilized.

In conclusion, the Federal Government should note that the troubled waters that once looked a thousand miles away are now at our very doorsteps. They should not come and meet us inside our bedrooms before we understand how dire and delicate the situation is. Kaduna State is just 191 km away from the heart of Abuja, and even much lesser in distance from the point of operation by these hoodlums. Reports even have it of their operations in the towns surrounding Abuja. These terrorists are heavily armed, but the weight of their armory should not overrun the strong fist of a sovereign State like the Nigerian state. Enough of the kid gloves, enough of the dialogue, enough of the financial empowerments in the name of ransom, and enough of the sentiments and religious/tribal bias. The train that was attacked had a representation of virtually all Nigerians in it. The record of the persons that died in the train was not restricted to any religion, tribe, or state of origin. It is time to rise beyond the lines of ethnoreligious barriers and take charge of the nation.

May the souls of the innocent departed victims of the various attacks in Nigeria rest in peace.

May the family of the deceased persons be consoled.

May the Government of the land find a lasting solution to the troubled waters of the Nation.

God bless Nigeria.

Akintayo Balogun Esq., LL.B (Hons), BL, LL.M, is a legal practitioner in private practice based in Abuja, FCT. A prolific writer, public affairs analyst, and commentator on national issues., akinson6@gmail.com