Although the law enforcement agencies may be trying their bests, but Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka, Our Managing Editor, writes that Amobi Nzelu Esq,.a senor lawyer of note raises alarm over continued banditry, kidnapping in Nigeria, and warns of national anarchy
A senior legal practitioner, Amobi Nzelu Esq, has raised a fresh alarm over what he described as the “terrifying dimension” of banditry and kidnapping in Nigeria, warning that the country is sliding toward anarchy, if urgent steps are not taken. Speaking in an interview, he said Nigerians can no longer sleep with both eyes closed as violence spreads across the country.
Nzelu lamented that insecurity has become a daily reality, with reports of abductions, murders, and attacks dominating the news cycle. “Every day you get off the bed, you must hear ‘this kidnapping this way, banditry that way, murder of people this way.’ It is a cause for concern,” he said.
The senior lawyer questioned the sincerity and capacity of government to curb the crisis. According to him, it either means government is not trying enough, or “someone somewhere is sabotaging the efforts of the government.” He described the situation as one that requires urgent interrogation of the nation’s security architecture.
Citing a popular adage, from the late head of state, Sani Abacha, Nzelu said: “Where insurgency lasts more than three days, government has a hand in it.” He asked pointedly: “Does it mean that these people are insurmountable? Don’t we know who they are? Are they invincible?”
He expressed frustration over huge budgetary allocations to defense, asking if the funds are truly being used to purchase arms and equipment to combat criminals. “How many of them are they? The money being budgeted for defense is on the high side,” he queried.
Nzelu warned that pretending the problem does not exist will have grave consequences for the country’s welfare and coexistence. “If we pretend that this thing is not getting out of hand, Nigeria suffers for it,” he said, adding that the land itself “is crying because of the blood being spilled on it.”
The lawyer declared that negotiations and ransom payments have failed to yield results. He asked who facilitated the entry of some of the criminal elements into the country in the first place, suggesting complicity and poor border control.
He referenced an interview with a former NYSC DG who allegedly said that while in captivity, he heard a call to a commander about “bullets to send to them.” Nzelu asked: “Are we selling bullets to them? I’m not even in security outfits and they have bullets to sell to them.”
On responsibility, Nzelu said security should not be left to government alone. “It’s everybody’s business. See something, say something,” he urged. However, he noted that citizens are afraid to volunteer information to security agencies for fear of being exposed to the criminals.
He stressed that Nigerians must take ownership of their safety. Using his personal experience in Port Harcourt, he said he renovated a rented office at his own cost because “Nigerians should be secured by Nigerians.”
When asked if the government is doing enough, Nzelu said approval alone is not enough. “When the demands are unstable, he gives approval. He expects them to go and execute it. It’s not fair on him,” he said, apparently referring to the President.
He accused some government negotiators of having vested interests in the crisis. “People feed from this insecurity in this country. People feed heavily because the money you are talking about is in billions and in dollars, in hard currencies. So why would they want the thing to stop?” he asked.
Nzelu commented on the Niger State governor’s decision to remove Fulani village heads and replace them with indigenous chiefs. He said the governor must have acted based on credible security reports. “If that is going to stop the killings, let him go ahead and do it. Nigeria must be secured,” he stated.
He linked part of the problem to faulty traditional institutions, saying the imposition of unpopular rulers has created resentment. “Install A here, install B here. When they are not properly from the place, it’s part of the problem,” he said.
Referencing recent killings in Southern Kaduna where about 30 people were reportedly killed, Nzelu said “desperate malady requires desperate treatment.” He insisted that the current approach has failed and a new strategy is needed.
On the situation in the Southeast, he argued that the violence there is not purely terrorism but tied to “greed to remain in power and to silence opposition.” He blamed political desperation and money politics for the systematic elimination of people in the region.
Nzelu recounted seeing over 300 people on motorcycles in an eastern state capital and discovering strange persons in his own village. He said he asked his kindred to take stock of residents. “Why should we be afraid of ourselves if we still believe that we are one Nigeria? Go to bed, one eye open, one eye closed, because of insecurity. No,” he said.
The senior lawyer took a swipe at the National Assembly, describing it as “toothless bulldogs” with no political will to enforce resolutions. “They only sit down there and make noise. In the day they speak, in the night they compromise,” he concluded, calling for decisive leadership to save the country.
