Senator Tolu Odebiyi has expressed concern about the escalating rate of insecurity in the country, warning that if nothing drastic is done to curtail the dangerous situation, Nigeria might be heading to the edge of the precipice.

He was speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing Extra-Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament holding in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone.

Odebiyi who is currently a member of the regional parliament, noted that the primary purpose of government is the security and welfare of the citizens, contending that in the absence of security, anarchy and lawlessness become the order of the day.

He said that no meaningful progress or development can take place in an atmosphere of chaos and uncertainty.

Odebiyi, who represented Ogun West Senatorial District in the 9th National Assembly, expressed alarm at the rising cases of kidnappings for ransom, sectarian killings, menace of herdsmen and general insecurity across the length and breadth of Nigeria.

“I am worried at the rising cases of killings, kidnappings for ransom and the menace of herdsmen who have unleashed bloodshed across the length and breadth of our country.

“This has made lives unbearable and cheap. If nothing is done to halt the growing anarchy, Nigeria may be cascading down the cliff. The time for the government to act is now. Delay may be dangerous.”

Odebiyi who was the Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory in the Senate, tasked the government with acting swiftly and decisively, as the deteriorating situation was already bringing a backlash on the economy.

He said that many foreign businesses in the country were closing shops and relocating to other climes because of the growing insecurity in the country, resulting in huge losses in jobs.

These unfortunate developments, according to Odebiyi, have significantly contributed to the existing state of anomie.

He warned that if nothing is done to curb the menace, Nigeria may slide into a state of nature in which, in the words of Thomas Hobbes, lives become “short, nasty and brutish.”