TO LIVE IN THE MEMORY OF THE LIVING IS NOT TO DIE; quote from Marcus Tullius Cicero By M K Ilyasu

TO LIVE IN THE MEMORY OF THE LIVING IS NOT TO DIE; quote from Marcus Tullius Cicero

By

M K Ilyasu

For more than a decade, Nigeria has been caught up in a great debate over profound issues on National Security. The range of debate has varied, perhaps even unique in several respects. It has been sustained for a longer period over the unrelenting killings, kidnappings and other criminalities bringing a wider segment of the public engaged, than with earlier controversies in the polity.

Little wonder some abducted Nigerians have switched allegiance or are hailing the terrorists as “saviours” like it happened in Dapchi because the people of Dapchi saw the kind of power that should reside with the government being exercised by the enemies of the state.

Unhappily, in a society whose politicians and intellectuals tend to sectionalize/tribalize/polarize the country as in the North versus the South on security and other important national matters, our people must choose between uncritical support for the ruling class and controversies directed against the security establishment in the fight against the kidnappers, insurgents and terrorists in general.

I would argue that preventing internal collapse or self paralysis of our security can never be a remedy for the fight against terror.

Many commentators, of course argued, that our security has been breached while kidnappers operating under the doctrine of secrecy and surprises have shocked the nation with thousand deaths in our communities, a fearful price for our political leaders to pay.

The question often asked is how much human waste we can suffer while debating for a viable security infrastructure?.

Of course we have had problems other than those of security and defense urging for reform as deserving high priority. Claims of domestic reforms as deserving high priority should be heard and, as appropriate heeded, BUT the defense and security of our people cannot be deferred until our political houses are in order.

Nigerians talked of marginalization, unemployment, corruption, police brutality, (#ENDSARS) executive’s excesses (ENDBADGOVERNANCE) and even attempted sit-in of the President beyond the constitutional term of office. These were legitimate concerns of any government adherent to law and order.

Perhaps fewer than small percentage of Nigerians are concerned about criminal networks marshalling our youth whose combined capacity for mischief was to revolutionize our security strategies and place all of the North including most of the Southern part of the country under military boots. What this says of our society is that, Nigerians and Northern Nigeria in particular is not troubled by the mass recruitment of youth into sectarian religious orders that has sent thousands of Nigerians to their death, and would equally send thousands more of these unguided youth to early death.

There is growing evidence that, notwithstanding the rhetoric employed, a number of states have concluded that the Federal government cannot handle security challenges the country is currently facing. There is a growing agitation for State police, with the likes of South-West creation of Amotekun and Kaduna State Vigilante Services in Kaduna.

Gloomy as these prognostications sound, however, it is worth stressing that there is nothing inevitable about the end of kidnappings in Nigeria.. What then, might be some positive objectives in overcoming kidnappings and insurgency?

We recognize that we can no longer afford to pay every price and are unwilling to mount every road block to secure our communities.

Indeed, we have not lost sight in the fact that kidnapping/insurgency/terrorism may have an extremely useful social agenda setting function. The reasons behind violence can be skill fully articulated. These unrelenting criminalities to my estimation are putting the issue of political change on the public agenda.

In a final note we ask “WHAT ARE THE LEGITIMATE INTERESTS OF OUR COMMUNITIES APART FROM LIVING IN PEACE IN A SECURED ENVIRONMENT”?

Mallam Mohammed Kabir Ilyasu, an author, administrator and public affairs commentator writes from Kaduna Nigeria

 June 16th 2026