By Olatunbosun Obafemi
Northern Nigeria has become a theatre of horror – a land where fear walks in daylight and death lurks in the shadows. From Zamfara to Niger, from Katsina to Kaduna, bandits and kidnappers have turned entire communities into slaughterhouses.
The numbers of the dead rise weekly; the missing are uncountable. Yet, amidst this chaos, the Nigerian government continues to demonstrate an alarming level of incompetence, confusion, and moral bankruptcy in tackling insecurity.
For years now, innocent Nigerians have been kidnapped, raped, and murdered while the state looks away or issues its usual, empty condolences. Bandits stroll into villages with motorcycles and guns, kill farmers, raze homes, and disappear without trace. Meanwhile, our so-called leaders continue to hold meetings, set up committees, and stage press conferences that produce nothing but more promises. The truth is as bitter as it is undeniable – the Nigerian state has lost control of its northern territories, and its citizens are paying the price.
What is even more tragic is the government’s disturbing romance with criminals under the absurd “repentant terrorist” policy. We have watched, in shame, as state governors line up before cameras to “receive” men who have terrorized their people – men whose hands drip with innocent blood – all in the name of rehabilitation. These terrorists, after a shallow display of “repentance,” are granted amnesty, given cash, housing, and sometimes vehicles, while their victims languish in camps or unmarked graves. It is a grotesque insult to every Nigerian who has lost a child, a parent, or a home to these monsters.
How do you reward men who murdered soldiers, raped women, and displaced entire communities, while their victims remain forgotten? What message does this send to our youths – that crime pays if done at scale? That the government will shake your hand after you slaughter a village, as long as you promise to “repent”? This absurd policy of appeasing evil only emboldens more criminals. Today’s “repentant bandit” becomes tomorrow’s commander of a new terror camp.
The northern governors, instead of confronting the cancer of insecurity, have become chief public relations officers for failed amnesty deals. They pose for photos with “repentant” killers proudly surrendering rusty rifles, while entire towns are still under siege. It is a sickening theatre of deceit – the government pretending to be in control, the criminals pretending to have changed, and the people left to die in silence. No one is fooled. The so-called “surrender” of arms is a mockery; while one group of bandits hands over a few guns for the camera, another cell somewhere else is importing fresh weapons.
Let us be clear: these criminals do not deserve celebration; they deserve justice. Real justice – in courts, not ceremonies. Nigeria’s leaders have betrayed their constitutional duty. A government that pampers murderers while neglecting victims has lost every claim to moral authority. What is the worth of a government that cannot protect its citizens, cannot secure its borders, and cannot punish those who spill innocent blood?
The economic impact of this madness is already devastating. Farmers are abandoning their lands, schools in many communities have shut down, and the North’s once-thriving economy has been crippled. The food crisis across the nation is directly tied to this wave of terror. Banditry has not only destroyed lives – it has destroyed livelihoods. Yet, those in power act as though the problem can be negotiated away with gifts and photo opportunities.
Nigeria cannot heal until the leadership stops lying to itself. The country is bleeding, and no amount of propaganda can hide the rot. We need bold, transparent, and decisive action – not this cowardly appeasement of killers. The government must dismantle the structures that enable banditry: corrupt security officers, complicit traditional leaders, and politicians who treat terror as business. The military must be reequipped, intelligence reformed, and accountability restored.
Until that happens, the North will remain a region under siege, and Nigeria will continue to stumble like a blind giant. We cannot keep rewarding evil and expect peace. The government’s duty is not to negotiate with criminals – it is to protect the innocent and punish the guilty. Anything less is treason against the people.
Enough of this shame. Enough of this blood. Nigeria must choose: to remain hostage to bandits, or to rise again as a nation that values justice over cowardice.
