Drug Addiction, Unemployment Foiling Nigeria Insecurity – Expert
…… As 8,000 Women, Children Abducted, Killed In 9 Months
The Chief Executive Officer, Beacon Intel, and security expert, Dr Kabir Adamu has urged the federal and state governments to address the root causes of insecurity in Nigeria.
Adamu noted that the root causes of the challenge include, “weak state institutions, drug addiction, socio-economic grievances, poverty, unemployment and the effects of climate change as well as the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.”
This was coming after a 2023 Nigeria Security Report by Beacon Consulting, an Abuja-based security risk management and intelligence consulting company, saying no fewer than 6,345 were killed while there were 2,543 abduction cases across the country between January and September this year.
According to the report obtained by OSUN DEFENDER on Friday, 749 Nigerians were killed in January; 624 in February; 961 in March; 707 in April; 679 in May; 854 in June; 552 in July; 638 in August; and 581 in September.
It also revealed that 208 Nigerians were abducted in January; 173 in February; 411 in March; 302 in April; 168 in May; 239 in June; 329 in July; 369 in August; and 344 people in September.
The document showed that the fatalities rate reduced in the third quarter by 27.3 per cent from 37.0 per cent in the first quarter and 35.7 per cent in the second quarter.
It however revealed that the abductions increased in the third quarter by 40.9 per cent as against 31.1 per cent in the first quarter and 27.9 per cent in the second quarter.
Another security expert, Jackson Ojo, opinated that there was no improvement in the security situation in the country, as he blamed poverty and poor economy for increasing insecurity.
According to Ojo, “If a DPO was gruesomely murdered (in Rivers State), who is now safe in this country? The situation is getting worse due to the high rate of poverty, and people want to be averagely comfortable at all costs, either within or outside of the law.
“People have lost hope in the government as a result of joblessness; even those working struggle due to the high cost of living. When there is poverty in the land, there is promotion of criminality. There are arms everywhere and more hungry men are on the streets. By the time the economy becomes stronger, insecurity will be curbed very fast.”
Yusuf Oketola is a trained journalist with over five years of experience in the media industry. He has worked for both print and online medium. He is a thorough-bred professional with an eye of hindsight on issues bothering on social justice, purposeful leadership, and a society where the leaders charge and work for the prosperity of the people.
