Violence is bestriding the landscape of Nigeria like a colossus and gradually it is becoming the norm. Killing has become an everyday thing that no one again bathes an eyelid. Before one can hardly finish agonizing over the bitterness of one killing which sometimes occurs in their numbers, another is heard elsewhere.
Today Nigeria has become a killing field, completely overwhelmed by banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, and cultism, ethnic cum religious violence among others. The once calm eastern region sadly has been dragged into the fray. Life has become so brutish and the purpose of government has lost meaning to the people.
What is more disturbing is that the perpetrators of this wickedness of snuffing life untimely are adherents of religions that claim to preach peace. So much noise is made about God everywhere you go that one begins to wonder why there is great disrespect for God in obeying his injunctions of “thou shall not kill”
Looking at the matter on how we have degenerated to this level everything seems to point to a failed government or poor governance structure orchestrated by politicians who are selfishly struggling to wield and retain power in order to achieve their objective of sustaining their stranglehold on the people.
With each succeeding administration governance has degenerated and the value of government lost because a lot of structures including the military are put to wrong use. Today the soldiers are used to rig elections and serve as body guards to some politicians.
Just like their civilian counterparts soldiers are pauperized and made to fall for the slightest crumbs that drop from the politicians table. The respect that was once accorded the military is lost because of their involvement in crime. Soldiers we are aware are supposed to be confined in the barracks and used basically when there is external aggression against the country or in extreme cases to quell violence in the country.
Sadly, they have been socialized into the ills of the society and have antagonized themselves against the people. Little wonder they have regularly been attacked in recent times and many killed senselessly even when there may be no justifications for it.
Numerous incidents abound where the soldiers have reportedly launched a reprisal attack and killing in revenge of their fallen colleagues. These have led to loss of lives of innocent citizens. During the EndSars protest, a top local government official in Mbaitoli LGA of Imo State fell victim among others to reprisal killings by soldiers for loss of two colleagues shot by gunmen.
It was not any different when Gov Hope Uzodimma invited the military at Orlu to intervene in the security breach from a group he called hoodlums. Orlu people suffered terribly having been placed under curfew, many lives lost and buildings and businesses burnt because soldiers were venting their anger on civilians who may not be connected with the incident.
Few days ago it was reported that soldiers are now on a man hunt in a certain Benue village where they lost over 11 soldiers. Loss of soldiers indiscriminately no doubt is a depletion of our military strength and resources. Besides, these soldiers have dependants and huge sums have been expended growing them on their job.
News Echo frowns seriously at these developments and wishes to call for a halt. Civilians should for no reason attack any soldier to avoid a reprisal action. Besides, government should exercise restraint in the manner they abuse use of soldiers which elicits some of these civilian actions. Soldiers by their training have been made to obey last commands which may be inimical to the interests of the society.
We have had enough blood letting in this country. Without peace there can never be development, this we want to remind the authorities.
