Two Wrongs…

There is no gainsaying that lawlessness in Nigeria is on a gradual increase. People are actively struggling for material resources through violent means. Also, seeking redress through the appropriate channels is worrisomely becoming old-fashioned. This calls for an urgent policy action that will effectively curtail these anomalies in the country.

Yesterday, some members of the Nigerian Army attacked Azagbene community in Ekeremor Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, in search of suspected militants who ambushed and killed two soldiers. The soldiers acting on intelligence that the killers fled into the community, pulled and burned down structures in the community. Report says villagers fled to the bushes for safety.

Militancy in the Niger Delta seem to be gradually rearing its ugly head again despite the 2009 Amnesty Programme for ex-militants in the region. The killing of the two soldiers is highly unacceptable, and further buttresses the growing insecurity in Bayelsa state in view of the upcoming governorship election. The soldiers’ reaction to the killing of their members is a testament to unprofessionalism breeding in Nigeria’s security outfits. Two wrongs do not make right. If security operatives that are constitutionally obligated to maintain law and order are in themselves perpetrators of chaos, what then is expected of civilians?

With the growing insecurities in Nigeria, there is need to promote airing of grievances through legal channels. Perpetrators of violence, whether proactive or reactionary, should be prosecuted to serve as a deterrence to future defaulters. Security is everybody’s business, communities in crisis prone areas should be more cooperative in identifying criminal elements in their communities to enable security operatives effectively perform their responsibility. Grievance is becoming a notable push factor for violence in Nigeria (Boko Haram, Niger Delta militants, secession agitators, etc). Government should be proactive in mitigating practices that encourages grievance-driven crimes.