Posted by Hundreds of children in Katsina area, North West Nigeria, went on the run last week after robbers attacked many communities in the area for three days in a row with no help from security forces.
A lot of good-hearted Nigerians have been reacting to the kids’ behavior because they see it as a blow to the country’s security system.
Their main accusation was that the government had let things get so bad that even kids considered protesting as a viable alternative.
Reportedly, last week, bandits raided multiple Katsina communities, including the Wurma settlement, which was hit for three days in a row without any reinforcements from the security forces.
This development infuriated the children, who were witnessing their parents brutally killed like animals. They took to the streets, brandishing sticks and chanting, to vent their frustrations over what they perceived as the government’s and security agents’ callous disregard for their safety and well-being.
Most of the demonstrators at the Wurma event were youths, with ages ranging from ten to fifteen.
Reportedly, after three days of nonstop attacks with no assistance from security personnel, the entire Wurma farming community was left desolate.
The event was shown in an Instagram video shared by Hausaroom, which read: “Children protest over killings of their parents by bandits for three consecutive days in Katsina.”
As many had escaped to nearby towns, Wurma had essentially become a ghost town, according to Jamil Mabai, one of the demonstrators featured in the film.
He said that the large farming town of Wurma was entirely uninhabited, with no signs of any security forces. We are seeing the brutal slaughter of our parents.
Because we are completely defenseless, we are pleading with the entire world to save us. We have been deserted by the government.
Some Nigerians have responded to the protest by claiming the kids were simply trying to get the world to notice the plight of their towns, where the government has seemingly left them to fend for themselves.
Beyond the children’s protest goals, though, there are many who would like to see progress.
For them, the most important thing is how the protest will affect the kids emotionally and mentally as they mature into adults.
Those who hold this opinion are worried that the youngsters will carry the trauma with them into adulthood.
The majority of Nigerians see Vice President Kashim Shettima’s pledge to strengthen the country’s security as nothing more than a political statement; after all, such pledges have grown trite in Nigeria.
Whether in Katsina or anyplace else in Nigeria, Shettima promised that the government will do all in its power to protect the people’s lives and possessions.
The government has let down the youngsters, according to public administrator Curtis Ikechukwu, who spoke with IBOMLEAKNEWS in response to the news.
You can’t possibly persuade young kids that Nigeria isn’t a wild, unforgiving place where survival of the fittest is paramount.
If everything is going to be okay, how can anyone reassure the kids? Will you restore the parents who were assassinated while sleeping because they followed the law?
When kids watched as robbers slaughtered their parents in front of their eyes without a fight from the security guards, how are they supposed to accept the reality that crime pays no matter how much they try?
How can they have faith in a government that does nothing to stop non-state actors from terrorizing their communities?
There is no government for those kids, and if we don’t watch out, a lot of them will start living on the streets.
Therefore, the government should finally take the matter of protecting citizens and their possessions seriously.
Nigerians want their government to actually do what it says it would do. It is imperative that we perceive progress. The ages of these kids range from ten to fifteen. How will the event fade from their minds as they mature?
“The vice president’s assurance that the government would take all necessary measures to safeguard them from additional attacks is insufficient.”
Going after the bandits responsible for those parents’ deaths, arresting them, and punishing them appropriately would demonstrate the government’s capability and readiness to handle the problem, which would restore faith in the people.
The only way to get the public to believe what the government says is to do that. Additionally, other bandits will get the message loud and clear that things are not going according to plan.
But I don’t think anyone is going to pay attention to the government making the same old claims that they are in control anymore if that is the case. There needs to be immediate and extreme action from the government, and my brother, this is a horrible scenario, he said.
Celestine Nnamani, a lawyer, sees security as just another facet of Nigeria’s national catastrophe.
Government officials in Nigeria have let the people down when it comes to protecting their lives and possessions.
The fundamental goal of government at all levels shall be the protection and well-being of the people, as stated explicitly in Section 14 (2b) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s constitution.
“However, where is safety?” I am frightened of the irredentists among the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who have said that we should remain at home every Monday, thus I am currently sitting at home with my gate locked.
Is that any way to govern a country? In the absence of a response from the government, I am compelled to listen to non-state actors who instruct me on what to do.
Some Nigerians think the country needs its citizens to have a serious conversation about it. We can’t possibly live together if we have different ideas on how to do it.
We must find a way to return to our country and figure out how we can all coexist peacefully as Nigerians. Once that is settled, patriotism will make a triumphant return, accompanied with agreed-upon metrics for both the government’s actual and intended performance.
Putting on a show in the state capitol is not what governance is all about. Government forces are bewildered by the takeover of large portions of the North by non-state entities.
The scenario is identical in the south; without government intervention, non-state entities have seized control of everything from forests to villages, towns, and cities.
“So, the first solution is for the government to really come to the people and let us rediscover ourselves,” he told IBOMLEAKNEWS.
Mallam Abdullahi Sabiu, an educationist from Katsina State’s Maiduwa Local Government Area, also expressed his dismay at the situation, saying that the bandits have complete control over eight of the state’s LGAs.
Though he acknowledged the finest efforts of the governor and security forces in Katsina State, he denounced the bandits’ dominance in eight local government areas.
You may find them in the marketplaces, on the highways, and in the countryside, he informed IBOMLEAKNEWS.
The populace are constantly on edge since they can strike at any second. Nowadays, people don’t go to sleep with their eyes closed. They are too afraid of being abducted or killed to return to the farm.
“The people are being dealt a dirty blow by hunger as bandits have stolen their farming livelihood and the government is powerless to stop it,” he said.
In addition, he clarified that the children’s demonstrations were merely a means of drawing attention to the issue and encouraging the governor and security forces to step up their efforts to keep peaceful order.
“Every hour, someone is being threatened. All eight of the municipalities—Faskari, Basari, Sabuwa, Danmusa, Jibia, Safana, Kankara, and Kurfi—are dangerous places to live.
The bandits make life a living nightmare for these local administrations every single day.
The youngsters have asked the government to investigate, and the government should move quickly to lessen the impact or take complete control of the problem.
“The people’s confidence in the government has not been completely eroded; the goal is to bring greater attention to their situation so that the government can take action,” he stated.