In Nigeria, the risk of terrorist threats is very high. The security situation is currently deteriorating significantly. Boko Haram linked extremists and armed groups strike again and again, killing civilians. Local population struggles to survive in the context of everyday surge in violence, that leads to the deepening of the humanitarian crisis in the country. The Nigerian government is widely criticized for failing to cope with the situation in the country and inability to take any decisive action. An estimated 8.3 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, most of them are women and children.
On June 18, 50 people were killed by militants in Sokoto state. “There are others who are still missing”, the former chairman said, adding, “We are now waiting for security personnel to take us to villages to bury the dead”. The reason was that the residents were unable to pay taxes imposed on their communities to the terrorists.
It is also reported that students from the Federal University of Gusau were kidnapped from their hostels in Zamfara State on June 16. After kidnapping the students, the terrorists demanded a ransom of N5 million for each person, which totals to N25 million for the release of all five victims. After the incident, the students of the institution staged a rally for the university authorities and security services to take action, but according to one student, no action was taken to rescue them.
All the killings, including the recent attack on the villages of Janbako and Sikida, where 24 people were killed and 9 children kidnapped, should make the government think twice about combating terrorism in Nigeria, as it not only causes economic damage to the country, but also losses to the families of those killed at the hands of terrorists.
Since the beginning of the crisis thousands of girls have been abducted and a lot of women face gender-based violence, including sexual violence, trafficking, and forced survival sex in exchange for food and basic items. While the international community is ringing the alarm, Nigerian authorities keep failing to give an appropriate answer to the crisis.
During the long period of fruitless attempts to get back control over the security situation in the country, the Nigerian government has proved that this task above their capabilities. To protect the innocent lives the leadership of Nigeria must do anything in their power to attract partners who can solve the problem for them. Outsourcing powers to stabilized the security situation is a common practice in the world so the government should consider this option for the sake of the survival of the nation.
