Since Sunday, the floods of sorrow and anguish have not left Kaduna state. Apart from the abductions of no fewer than 100 students from Bethel Secondary School, Monday’s killings and abduction of unspecified number of persons near the Kaduna toll gate is reflective of the tragedy enveloping us all.
Our state has been turned into an ocean of guiltless bloodshed. While the state has failed to arrest the crimes perpetrated by these bandits, Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai would later explain why banditry cannot be tackled in the North as it has become a business.
Kidnappings and human seizures along the Kaduna Kachia Road is assuming a frightening dimension as Kujama and Idon axis had become the axis of these mindless murderers. Just last week, a driver lost his life after he drove other passengers to safety after he was shot.
It is glaring that while these bandits have declared a war on us all, government has not shown enough commitment in dealing with the issue at hand. It is now obvious that the Kaduna State Government can no longer guarantee the protection of lives and property.
Just this afternoon soldiers swooped upon youths protesting mass abductions of persons in Sabo last night. Where were these soldiers when these kidnappers unleashed mayhem on residents?
A government that has sworn not to negotiate with bandits but at the same time denying citizens the right to protect themselves cannot be a serious government. If kidnappings are state crimes, Kaduna State Government has failed to tackle the problem.
Arising from this failure, the only option available now is for President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency in order to guarantee safety of lives and property.
This is no time for inscrutable silence. The democratic forces in Kaduna State have been strangulated into silence.
If Kaduna state citizens refuse to demand for a state of emergency, we shall soon find out that running under the bed won’t save any of us. Arise o citizens and demand protection of lives and property. Kaduna state is approaching its midnight hour of trial..only collective resolve across divides can end this tale of tragedy foisted on the state.
•Source: Facebook