By JEFF GODWIN DOKI Ph.D

Let us begin today’s dialogue with an echo from William Shakespeare: as flies to wanton boys, so are we to the terrorists, they kill us for their sport. Another way of saying this is that our lives as Nigerian citizens have become playthings in the hands of gunmen. The most recent example of this orgy of wanton destruction of lives was on Sunday March, 29 2026 at Angwan Rukuba area of Jos, Plateau state. The tragedy occurred on Palm Sunday, a very significant day in the Christian calendar.

The tragedy also occurred at the same time the political class, PDP precisely, was holding its national convention in Abuja amidst thunderous drumming and singing led by their new leader who also doubles as the FCT Minister. The ruling APC had its own national convention a day earlier.

As usual, and in a manner similar to that of Yelewata attacks in Benue state, June last year, the gunmen rode confidently to Angwan Rukuba on motor bikes, they opened fire sporadically on traders and commuters leaving more than 25 bullet-ridden lifeless bodies on the ground in a pool of blood. Again, as it is usual in Nigeria, it took more than one hour before security forces appeared on the scene, by which time the gunmen had escaped to safety. On-lookers videoed the gory spectacle with their camera phones and in no time, the tragedy became awash on social media.

Recall that this is the second time Angwan Rukuba area is in the news for the same reason. On December 24, 2010, (Christmas eve), there was a bomb blast in the same vicinity claiming the lives of many residents who were shopping for the Christmas festival. I recall that incident with a chilling clarity because it happened the same day, I received news that my own father had died in the village. But take note of this: both attacks occurred on the eve of two big Christian festivals namely: Christmas and Easter. So, what is the motive of the terrorists? Is it just to instill fear in Christian populations? Or it is a loud warning that the terrorists have relapsed into a more horrendous barbarism in the urban centers?

Since Nigeria’s return to civil rule in 1999, violence has become second nature to the country. Cast your eyes over the landscape and there you find a descent of communities, regions and indeed the nation into a lingering state of insecurity with its attendant ills, not the least of which is economic retrogression. Cast your eyes over the country and there you encounter eloquent testimonies of innocent and poor Nigerians who have lost their lives while trying to cope with the harsh economic realities in the country.

During the regime of Olusegun Obasanjo (1999-2007) there was an attack on the Nigerian Army barracks in Kaduna in 2000, which was linked to extremist groups. By comparison, Obasanjo had only two major challenges to contend with namely: the violent activities of local militia groups in the Niger Delta region who were demanding for resource control and the introduction of Sharia law in Zamfara state by Governor Ahmed Sani Yerima. In both cases, it became apparent that Obasanjo himself, a former man of war, was helpless, or so it seemed. But don’t forget that the Nigerian Army heavily deployed its military might on armless civilian populations in Zakibiam and Odi in Benue and Bayelsa states respectively during Obasanjo rule.

We must concede that it was under the regime of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (2010-2015) that banditry and terrorism became more pervasive in Nigeria. During this time, Boko haram, a terrorist group was responsible for almost all violent activities in the country including bombings, assassinations, abductions especially that of 276 Chibok girls in 2014. Goodluck Jonathan was a simple, shy and smiling president and for that reason it was rumored that some powerful individuals brought into Nigeria bandits and arms in 2015 to destabilize his government and to plunge the country into a civil war if he did not concede defeat in the 2015 General Elections. We are a nation of short memories, so whether these accounts are true or false, the truth remains that Jonathan woefully failed to protect the lives of Nigerian citizens and to rescue the Chibok girls who are in captivity till this day. Left or right, terrorism continued unabated after Jonathan.

Jonathan Goodluck’s successor, Muhammadu Buhari, was also a former man of war like his predecessor Obasanjo. When he came to office, he promised to defeat the terrorist in three months. He gave Nigerians so much hope by moving the entire headquarters of the Nigerian Army to Maiduguri. The idea was that the Nigerian Army could put the Boko Haram terrorist to rout. But it soon became apparent that President Buhari’s speech was nothing but grandstanding since the Nigerian Army could not defeat the terrorist group. On the contrary, Boko Haram and its spin-off Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) dared the Nigerian state by carrying out brazen attacks on civilians and security agents. By way of comparison, the spate of attacks by these two groups during the regime of Buhari made that of Jonathan’s regime a child’s play. The ones that quickly come to memory include Kuje Correctional Center in July 2022, the Abuja – Kaduna train attack in March 2022, the St Xavier Catholic Church Owo, Ondo State bombing in June 2022. There were also mass kidnappings including the abduction of 344 schoolboys in Kankara, Katsina State and 110 school girls in Dapchi, Yobe State. Official reports show that over 53, 418 Nigerians lost their lives between May 2015 and October 2022 when Buhari held sway.

Dear reader, do you need any seer to tell you that our lives as citizens are completely worthless? Nigerian citizens will be less than human not to feel neglected, abused and deceived by the political class.

Enter Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Just like his predecessors Bola Ahmed Tinubu vowed to defeat terrorism but here we are again losing our loved ones to terror-related violence on almost a daily basis. Just look at this: when the President was on a visit to London some weeks ago suicide bombers killed 23 people in Maiduguri. Over 160 people were killed in Woro, Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State on February, 3, 2026. In the same February 2026, terrorist killed at least 50 villagers and abducted women and children in Tungun Dutse village of Zamfara state. On March 25, 2026 there was an attack on Maru village in Zamfara state resulting in the death of several villagers. On March 31, 2026, terrorists attacked and killed many people in Chikun and Kajuru villages in Kachia local Government area of Kaduna State. Add these to recent attacks in Riyom, Bokkos all in Plateau state. Add to these also the recent abduction of wedding guests in Kaduna. And this is just a partial list. Just some weeks ago a Nigerian Army truck was ambushed by terrorists and about nine soldiers were killed prompting the President to donate his salary as a birthday gift to the families of soldiers that lost their lives in the line of duty.

Mark this: the lives of both soldiers and civilians is worthless because the leadership revels in so many lies and untruths.

And what has been the response of Government? Nothing new. We are cloyed with same dish: ‘we are on top of the situation, we shall bring the perpetrators to justice’. This has always been the refrain from the Nigerian Government and security agencies. Falsehood. These are old, outworn and familiar cliches. How can we expect to build our country on lies and falsehoods and expect it to stand? But take note of this: from Obasanjo to Tinubu there are certain almost predictable similarities even convergencies among the ruling elite and that is the fact that they do not care about us ordinary citizens.

In contemporary international order, the security of the state is considered important and worth protecting because it is the primary responsibility of the state to provide security for individuals. But it seems clear for now that the Nigerian Government cannot provide security for its citizens. As a matter of fact, in recent times threats to individual security have tended to come from the Nigerian state especially the activities of unscrupulous and unconscionable politicians who sponsor terrorist groups in order to achieve a political objective. This is as much as to say that the Nigerian state is the perpetrator of terrorist attacks. And this is true because the Nigerian Government is incapable of protecting it population, at the same time it lacks the capacity to defeat or make peace with rebel groups. Yes. All power flows from the state, and so do all evils.

And this brings us to the question: how responsible is the Nigerian government? It is clear to anybody with two eyes that the Nigerian government has a huge penchant for a façade of normality. Its claim to be waging war against terrorism is a sham. The recent change of Service Chiefs is also only a ruse and not a solution. We all know that from Angwan Rukuba to Riyom and Bokkos in Plateau State to Yelewata in Benue State to Zamfara and Kebbi and Niger state and Kaduna, we are confronted almost on a daily basis with a reality of citizens burying their loved ones to avoidable acts of terrorism. At the same time, we see Nigerian Politicians goose-stepping on red carpets of blood at political rallies every day. The major agenda of the political class is to regroup under different political parties to wield political power. You see them singing and dancing at national conventions while innocent citizens are sent to their early graves. The Nigerian government is not willing to provide good leadership, it is only obsessed with victory at the polls in the year 2027.The time has come for Nigerian citizens to devise a way of protecting themselves. The Government cannot protect us anymore. So long as the Government is concerned our lives are worthless and elections are priceless.

I weep for all Nigerian citizens who have lost their lives, to these avoidable attacks, with tears as sovereign as the blood from the heart. May their souls be pillowed in God’s bosom.

•Doki, a Professor of Comparative Literature, is a commentator on national issues

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