On Friday, October 23, gunmen on motorcycles invaded Binari community in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State and unleashed a wave of bloodshed. They burnt down houses, destroyed food supplies and left families devastated. The exact death toll remains uncertain, but the spokesman of the Taraba Police Command, Victor Mshelizah, disclosed that 58 bodies have so far been discovered.
The National Association of Seadogs (Pyrates Confraternity) condemns this latest senseless killing of Nigerians in Binari community. It is barbaric, reprehensible and must not go unpunished. We mourn with the bereaved and stand in solidarity with the survivors.
The governor of Taraba State, Agbu Kefas, had condemned the attack and called on security agencies to arrest the perpetrators. In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Digital Communications, Emmanuel Bello, the governor reportedly insisted that “efforts must be intensified to identify and apprehend the perpetrators, irrespective of their status or position.” The governor further directed that relief materials should be sent to the survivors as well as a reinforcement of security at Karim Lamido Local Government.
However, less than 24hours after the killings, Mr Kefas was on the next available plane to attend the All Progressives Congress (APC) North- West 2027 Presidential campaign flag-off in Kaduna State.
Governor Agbu Kefas condemnation of the massacre at Binari community cannot be the end of his responsibility. It must be the beginning of decisive action. At a time when his people needed the reassurance and presence of their leader, the governor was participating in a political rally, promising electoral support for his party. This is profoundly insensitive and falls short of the compassion and responsibility of a public office. Mr Agbu Kefas has failed the critical test of leadership. The people of Binari community deserve protection, they deserve action, not platitudes and directives that are meaningless.
Sadly, Binari is not an isolated tragedy. Similar incidents early this year at Gwomu community in Karim Lamido Local Government Area and other communities in Takum and Wukari Local Government Areas have left scores dead. Across Taraba State and other states in Northern Nigeria, a disturbing pattern of vicious violence and killings have become widespread. Rural communities have endured recurring attacks by bandits and armed groups with farmers and their families paying a devastating price. This cycle of bloodshed must stop.
The response of security agencies and the political leadership to these persistent killings and atrocities have been woefully inadequate. Nigerians have endured too many soulless statements and promises that perpetrators of crime will be brought to justice. Yet no functional justice system has emerged manifesting through thorough investigation, interdiction, prosecution and punishment of perpetrators. For countless families, justice remains elusive, threats of another attack hangs over several communities. Nigeria is gradually becoming a nation under siege.
It is worrisome that Nigerians are now numb to killings and ruthless violence. Massacres of fellow citizens that should shake the conscience of the entire country and provoke indignation are increasingly met with resignation, partisan arguments and sometimes indifference. Ethnic, religious and political loyalties have weakened our collective response to unbridled violence. The killing of any Nigerian should never matter less because of the victim’s, tribe, faith and political affiliation. A country that grows accustomed to the killing of its citizens without a protest risks losing not only its sense of security but also its humanity. No ethnic, religious or political grievance can justify the extermination of defenceless people.
The National of Seadogs/ Pyrates Confraternity, NAS/PC calls on President Bola Tinubu to rise to the full weight of his office as President and Commander-in- Chief of the Armed Forces and demonstrate the urgency, resolve and responsibility that this national security crisis demands.
Since his inauguration on May 29, 2023, approximately 20,000 Nigerians reportedly have been killed by insurgents, bandits and other forms of armed violence according to figures cited by Amnesty International, Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited, and Nigeria’s Investigative Newspaper, Premium Times. These are not mere statistics in the media but thousands of souls lost to mindless killings by bestial elements.
President Bola Tinubu should recognise that the security of Nigerians is not a peripheral issue to be addressed when convenient or tackled with political rhetoric. It is a central test of his administration’s responsibility to Nigerians and obligation to his oath of office.
We implore President Bola Tinubu to translate his directives to the security agencies into measurable results. His orders to dismantle criminal networks must come with clear timelines, effective monitoring and consequences for failure. Those implementing security operations must be held accountable for their performance, and any official found to have compromised these efforts must face the appropriate consequences.
We further urge Nigeria’s security agencies to discharge their duties with all sense of patriotism, professionalism and renewed determination. President Bola Tinubu’s recent marching orders to dismantle terrorists and bandits’ enclaves, rescue kidnapped citizens and restore public confidence in the government’s capacity to protect lives and property must be pursued with sustained commitment.
There must be no retreat, no complacency and no room for compromise with those who terrorise innocent Nigerians. Any peace arrangement that enables criminal groups to regroup, rearm or continue their heinous crime must be urgently discontinued where it undermines public safety. Criminal groups that repeatedly exploit peaceful overtures to perpetuate violence must be confronted through lawful, effective and sustained security operations. Terror groups have demonstrated that they are remorseless; they should be treated with equal measure. The war against terror groups must be waged with the seriousness it deserves until Nigerians can once again live without fear in their only country.
Dr Charles Meribole
NAS Cap’n
Abuja
