Senseless Killings Expose Coordination Failures in the Security Apparatus –By Abba Dukawa

The issue of insecurity in Nigeria has become something of grave concern to all citizens, most of whom continue to wonder how the country arrived at such a dastardly situation where no one is safe. Today, no one in the country especially downtrodden feels secure; in one moment there is reason to smile, and in the next only hopeless tears for the security failure.

The basis of the social contract between the people and the state; is, providing ’ security to citizens is a fundamental right and entitlement for every citizen. Despite current lamentations about the worrying security situation, how can citizens explain the prevailing condition in the country under the watch of the president and state governors, where scores of people are being killed or kidnapped daily and countless hundreds are abandoning their homes?

In recent days the country has witnessed its bloodiest day, unleashed by terrorists and bandits against defenseless people. In the northeast, terrorists abducted and publicly executed Brigadier General Uba and three of his men in Borno State. Eight members of the Civilian Task Force were killed and three were abducted in Gwoza, Borno State; in Tsafe LGA, Zamfara State, 64 civilians—including women and children—were abducted.

In Maga, Kebbi State, 25 female students and their principal were taken from a school, while the vice‑principal was killed. In Eruku, Kwara State, 38 worshippers were abducted from a church, and a policeman was killed in an attack in Geidam, Yobe State. Fifteen people including four nursing mothers and their babies—were abducted, and two were killed in Sabon Birni, Sokoto State; four rice farmers were killed in an attack in Edu, Kwara State. Additionally, many students were abducted from a Catholic school in Agwara, Niger State. All of these incidents occurred within just one week.

Almost every day, stories emerge that make one shiver at how the administration handles critical issues affecting Nigerians. Nigerians feel alienated, angry, and fed up with the way things are going in the country. People are tired of excuses when all they experience are open threats from criminal elements.

The recent escalation of attacks by bandits,, and insurgents leads to the conclusion that the North—and the country at large—is now completely at the mercy of armed gangs that roam towns and villages at will, wreaking havoc.

It appears that both federal and state governments have lost control of protecting the people—a constitutional duty they swore to uphold. The situation is worsening by the day, and terrorist and other criminals elements seem to sense a vacuum in political will and capacity, which they exploit with disastrous consequences for communities and individuals.

Coordination failures: as the insecurity crisis has reached a boiling point, analysts and ordinary citizens alike are demanding a complete reset of Nigeria’s security architecture. President Tinubu has already responded with a sweeping overhaul, replacing the Chief of Defence Staff and the service chiefs.

At the same time, the government has declared a national “red‑alert” after a wave of mass kidnappings and is rolling out joint military‑police operations. The government should combine military action with socio‑economic initiatives to address the root causes, while launching programmes that tackle the poverty and unemployment fuelling banditry and insurgency.

Government should ensure intelligent sharing among. Nigeria’s security apparatus even though the country has multiple security agencies with overlapping jurisdictions, which, without clear delimitation, causes confusion and operational inefficiencies this overlapping has created unhealthy competition and a lack of trust between different security agencies often lead to situations where critical intelligence is not shared or is delayed, hampering timely responses to threats.

The NSA’s office, acting as the coordinating body, must play a central role in building trust and improving its ability to understand the true nature of intelligence. It should focus on coordination and operations while working to bridge the trust gap within the intelligence community. Collaboration can be strengthened by creating platforms such as an intelligence‑fusion centre, and embracing technology is essential. Artificial intelligence and sophisticated drones can accelerate the collection, processing, and dissemination of intelligence, making the entire process more efficient.

Regardless of the efforts of the government and other agencies to address insecurity, the country also needs robust intelligence‑gathering networks that involve local communities. Engaging residents is key to obtaining timely information on potential threats. The government must shift from a state‑centric security model to a citizen‑centric one; when citizens see that security efforts are designed for their protection, they will be more willing to share valuable information with security agencies. This senseless Killings expose coordination failures in the security apparatus.

The government must sweep these forests and eradicate the bandits without mercy. These terrorists and kidnappers, operate with a degree of impunity, scatter and walk freely. Although President Tinubu has ordered security agencies to “actively pursue and eliminate terrorists, bandits and criminal elements wherever they may be,” Nigerians still wonder when and how the agencies will track the perpetrators and bring them to swift justice

If our leaders wanted this insecurity to end, they know the solution: they know what to do, where to strike, and who is aiding these beasts. Whoever is behind this bloodshed—whoever benefits from it, whoever sits in secret meetings to prolong this evil, whoever supplies information, weapons, protection, or encouragement to these demons—may the God of justice visit them.

May their secret places be exposed; may their wickedness return to their own heads; may their laughter turn to sorrow; may their lives never know peace; may their generation feel the weight of the innocent blood they have spilled; may the cries of widows and fatherless children rise as a witness against them.

To our brave soldiers and security personnel who gave their lives protecting our country. Your sacrifice in choosing Nigeria, in choosing us, the citizens, will never be forgotten. We stand by you, even though your names remain unknown to many of us. We are forever grateful to our fallen gallants; may their find eternal peace.

Dukawa writes from Kano and can be reached at abbahydukawa@gmail.com.