Nigeria suffered its worst Independence Day tragedy ever last Monday as gunmen stormed hostels of three higher institutions in Mubi, Adamawa State, and killed about 48 students. The massacre in the evening of the nation’s 52nd Independence anniversary on October 1 involved students of the Federal Polytechnic, School of Health Technology and Adamawa State University, all in Mubi.
The killings, reportedly perpetrated by about 50 gunmen in spite of a curfew in the town, caught all the security agencies in the area napping. Reports indicate that there was no attempt to interdict the assailants, as security officials did not arrive the scenes of the multiple murders until about 5.30 am on October 2, even though the massacre began around 10.30pm on October 1. Some newspaper accounts said they only came in to pack the corpses to the mortuary several hours after the gruesome attacks. Some suspects have, however, been arrested in the town.
The unconscionable murder of students in university hostels is a gory, new dimension to the problem of insecurity in the country. It is horrible and unacceptable that so many students are killed without any interdiction of the attackers by the security agencies. This disgraceful incident is a sad commentary on policing in Nigeria. The police and other security agencies should be on alert at all times, especially in the Northern part of the country, which has been under the siege of terrorists since last year.
The State Security Service (SSS) is also expected to have its ears on the ground to pre-empt such dastardly attacks. From the Mubi incident, it is glaring that there was no effective security arrangement for that area. It is unfortunate that insecurity in the country is increasing instead of abating, despite all the assurances from the Federal Government. The agenda of terrorists to instill fear in Nigerians is succeeding as planned.
Nigerians cannot afford to allow this situation to persist, because it has the potential of driving a wedge between the North and other parts of the country, and may threaten Nigeria’s stability. Already, it is beginning to appear foolhardy for any Southerner, Christian or Muslim, to remain in Northern Nigerian.
The freedom of Christians in that part of the country to worship in their churches has been greatly circumscribed. No responsible government should tolerate a situation in which students or other citizens are killed by terrorists. The government, so far, has not come up with any effective plan to curtail the activities of extremist gunmen in Northern Nigeria.
This situation is of great concern to all peace-loving Nigerians. Security of the nation is the primary responsibility of the government. It has become necessary for the people to demand that effective measures are put in place by the authorities to protect Nigerians in the troubled parts of the country. This persistent insecurity reflects poorly on the competence of the government and security agencies.
The government should, therefore, review the efficiency of its security agencies, including the Joint Task Force (JTF). The JTF needs to be re-invigourated to enable it rise to the challenge of securing troubled areas of the country. Its officers and those of other security agencies need to be kept on their toes. The mindless guerilla warfare in Northern Nigeria is fast making the area ungovernable. Both the Federal and State governments are clearly unable to stop the killings.
It is necessary, therefore, for the government to restrategise on terrorism in the country with a view to stopping it. In the present instance of the Mubi attacks, we urge the relevant security agencies to get to the bottom of the massacre. Some reports have linked the attacks to a recent election in the Federal Polytechnic, Mubi. Although the reports indicated that the election was peaceful, the fact that eyewitnesses to some of the attacks said the gunmen identified and killed their victims from a prepared list of names suggests that the incident may be more than the usual terrorist attacks that the country has been suffering of late.
However, the attacks followed the recent discovery of two bomb factories, and the apprehension of some suspects, in the town. It behooves the security agencies to get to the root of the massacre to unearth the motives that informed it. This will help in determining and fishing out the persons behind the dastardly act. The incident should not be allowed to end up like other killings in the country for which nobody was arrested or punished.
We sympathise with Adamawa State and the families that lost their members in this sad incident. It is painful, indeed, for young promising students to be killed in this way. Government must do everything possible to bring perpetrators of this heinous act to justice. Failure to do this and prevent recurrence of such massacre will seriously dent the nation’s image both locally and abroad.
Until Nigeria discard this colonial police force and replace it with national guard, the embarrassment of this nature will continue unabated.The present police structure is not working for Nigeria, do not be deceived.
will God ‘ll save our country nigeria, and save all nigeria student.
D fact still remains dat d president has incompitent men ard him.
It is so sad that some group of people can molest and kill innocent citizens with impunity.security agencies should identify them and let justice takes its course.The spate of violence in the north is alarming and is becoming a huge embarrasement to the federal government.All traditional rulers and religious leaders have a role to play.It is time they have their own local police to deal with such a menace.
From all these senseless attacks on innocent members of the public in the north,it is obvious that nigeria is certainly not having it’s best of time. The issue of religion and ethnic diversity is still a problem that must be tackled headlong to save the oneness of this great nation. If other ethnic groups should get angry and decide to avenge all these gruesome massacre of their brothers and sisters over there in the north,then, I doubt how the security agencies will be able to curtail the situation. The best time to start is now. Ther government must be sincere in tackling youth restiveness,unenployment,bad roads,epileptic power supply,high cost of education etc. If all these are not done,then,we might continue to experience all these sort of problems here and there.
Mr GEJ, please just resign! You are too weak to rule this country. Give way to a hardman to show this animals that Nigeria is too great for them to jeopardise it.
The killing of female students is a wicked act and has no justification whatsoever. It only portrays insensitivity and lack of conscience. Such killers lack God in their hearts. They are real only if they kill their own daughters and exhibit their corpses; else, southerners should desert Northern Nigeria.
Please there is no security strategy in place anywhere in Nigeria, I think it is deliberate. An attack took place about 10 pm, security or whatever agents came by 5:30 am to remove corpse of serially slaughtered future leaders. Second phase jare!
wah dis unjustfy issue my qutn here is there securty in ngr wat is d effort of d state govn on scrty of it ctzn or buildgn mansion dat boda dem not thier ctzns u shuld rmbr befor eletd to offc wat prms ur ctzns
Jonathan is useless to Nigeria
Jonathan should be beheaded with his families because he doesn’t know what he is doing
Insecurity has deluge north bt yet dy r stil longing to come 2015 presidential election. North should go and and off dia house on fire 1st b4 chasing rat
The horrible things that is happening in country now is more than what we can play politics with,whether we like it or not, this country need to seek for the face of God,consider the massacre of students & dangerous rain that is falling killing people like goats,shall we say it is the President that caused it?Until the government of this country call for three days national fasting & prayer with public holiday to let God know that we are serious,before God can intervene.We should drop our intelligent & all blames & complains & go back to go God that the people of this country have offended him by shedding of the blood of innocent people.
Take my words. This will continue to happen because people have been killing people all over the country and get away with it. So any body can kill now and get away with. Note this now is the general feeling in the whole country. Until someone or group of people are prosecuted and brought to book, it will get worst. A mad problem require a mad solution. Afterall osama bin laden was killed because of his terrorist act and the whole world is at peace with the remaining of us.
This is a tragedy, it has never been heard of in Nigeria history. What exactly is this country turning into. may the souls of the students rest in perfect peace. The choice of the picture is perfect.
goodluck jonathan adminstration is gradually vying 4d worst adminstration ever in the country…incessant killings evryday n yet he kips giving security assurances…may God help Nigeria.
Wat a sad day, may their soul rest in perfect peace.
Is dis the price people pay to be in one nigeria.GOD have mercy.
kip on kilin innocent souls.God almighty wil ask u of evry soul taken by u.hw cn 1 say his god ask him 2 kil sum1 if such god is nt blood suckin god
I think the gunmen must have had internal information from each of the institution before coming to perpetrate their act.so,there is a need to creat an internal sss in each of nigeria institution to stop this kind unusual killing.
if eventually dis pple gets d political i wonder d kind of explanation they will offer d nation for d wanton waste of human lives.
Wat kind of a country is dis.man has turned to a butcher to a fellow man,may dose whose hand is on d murder knw no peace,may dier generation be cursed by almighty God,may dey nva heard any student in dier lineage.
oupa, is alterly unfortunate dat those who ate supposed to lead the nation are been murdered with impunity. yesterday was mubi, today is Aluu where is the next nd who is next. all victims names released no senator’s son, no privillaged nigeria goverment official is involved all innocent children of d less privy in our country. let our d gov rouse up to it responsibility u don’t espect security agents to be every where nd at every point in times” dis country at it 52nd yr. detest manual policing of mere patroling round d environment with arms, ammunition.nd siren vehicles. it should as aa well include technological curso. else, one will attempt to ask on what are the causes of civil war, biafra nd even police strike in2002. fellow nigerias lets be careful for nothing is impossible.
Rest in peace my fellow friends may God take control in jesus name. And d family at large may dere bear d lost take heart.
may d gud lord grant d affect families d heart 2 bear d lost. What a sad sorry in 9ja nowadays
This killings show that northerners are beasts without brains. They are doing all these to frustrate Jonathan’s administration. Everybody knows the truth behind this killings, but everybody keeps quiet. Why?Those behind this dastardly acts, don’t be surprised, might be sponsored by some stupid northern poli-tick-ians. May the perpetrators never have generations that will live up to the age of the youngest of the murdered students. May the generations of their sponsors be wiped out by mysterious painful sickness and death. Amen.