IT is condemnable that some groups and individuals try to profit from the security challenges Nigeria faces. Their comments, while reacting to government’s efforts to end the attacks that have been a major challenge since 2009, tender to ignore the complexities involved.

Groups that claim their belief support their actions, have been killing thousands of Nigerians  -men, women and children – with brutalities that indicate the attacks are staged by people trained for the purpose.

They choose soft targets, with churches, entertainment places, schools, markets, being their favourites.  Condemnations of the attacks and the resulting body counts have not produced the expected cessation of hostilities.

Attacks on security agencies, their posts and barracks are strategies to instill fear in people and demoralise them. Another reason for attacking security agencies is to acquire arms from them.

For a related reason, banks are another target. The money they steal is handy for their operations.

Government has the responsibility to not only protect us, but to make us feel safe. It had to be so.

We cannot move on with obviously more important matters like who becomes whatever in 2015. We cannot forget the killings under the pretence that the union is in a sane state.

Neither the numbers, nor those killed, appears to be important. Lives, no longer seem to count for much. They have become sheer statistics reeled off at conference to authenticate information.

How can a society survive without protecting its people, especially its young, its future?

Nigeria should tell terrorists in more succinct terms, that their actions would be punished. The examples of punishment to deter them are not enough. More has to be done.

To win the war, personal and political considerations have to receive less attention than millions of lives terrorists place at risk. The indiscriminate attacks put everyone at risk, terrorists and their supporters alike.

Improvement on intelligence gathering and provisions for the security agencies would make the volatile parts of Nigeria peaceful again.

Governments should commence rehabilitation of places the attacks destroyed. It is equally important to restore normalcy once the security situation in the areas permit.

Ending the attacks is not an option. The distraction and destructions of the past five years need to end. The cooperation of residents is crucial to more successes as the final push is sustained.

The war against terrorists cannot be won unless we are pulling in the right direction. Any group that can murder children so mindlessly is a risk to everyone, even its acclaimed supporters.