NIGERIANS have more than enough reasons to panic. It should be more so when the issue is security and government is not about to do anything about securing the country. The assurances have gone bare and the attacks are becoming deadlier.

How would we not panic after Maiduguri, Abuja, Jos, Kaduna, Suleja, Bauchi, and now Damaturu? Are we not entitled to panic? Were assurances of adequate security not made before more than 150 were killed in Maiduguri and Damaturu?

Why should we not panic? We have assurances from the National Security Adviser, General Owoeye Azazi (rtd) that the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, was safe, at least its major hotels. Is that all there is to security? Why have past assurances produced no results? Where were the security agencies when bombs went off again, after criminals had threatened to cause confusion during the holidays?

“The Federal Government wants to advise members of the public that it would continue to ensure the security of lives and property under its jurisdiction despite the unfortunate events in Maiduguri and Yobe over the weekend,” General Azazi said in a statement. Are we supposed to imagine that Maiduguri and Yobe are outside the jurisdiction of the Federal Government?

The Assistant Director (Press) of the State Security Service, SSS, Marilyn Ogar possibly pursuing those lines continued, “We have internal security challenges, and it is nothing new. I do not see any problem that is beyond the Nigerian security agencies. Of course, we have deployed men and beefed up security everywhere. Even the US has security challenges and I do not think they will say it is beyond their security agencies. It is not right to pass judgement.”

We do not find the consistent comparison with the US amusing. How the US handles its own security matters is for it and its peoples. Is it possible for more than 150 Americans to be killed in a single criminal incident and the government’s reaction would be to admit that it has challenges? Why does government think that security is all about Abuja?  Has it even secured Abuja?

There are things government knows about the wanton killing of Nigerians that is unwilling to discuss. Neither the waste of lives and the wave of insecurity it generates, nor the bombing of the UN building in Abuja has elicited the sort of response that would worry criminals.

How does deployment of armoured personnel carriers, no matter their numbers, address insecurity? If the security agencies have intelligence reports indicating more attacks, why would the reports not show the source of the attacks?

We should panic. Government is deploying pliant measures for a serious matter. The criminals would just laugh. They have proven that they can strike wherever and whenever they want. Government, on its part, tends to re-cycle statements thinking Nigerians would be content with knowing the same failed measures would be applied again.

A curfew has been imposed on Damaturu, soldiers are parading the streets. Did these measures stop bombing in Maiduguri? When government is ready to tackle security, criminals will flee or be less brazen.