By Nana Aisha Muhammad
The sound of gunshots is no longer foreign to many Nigerians. In villages, towns, and even big cities, fear walks freely in the daylight. Children wake up to cries instead of lullabies. Mothers sleep with one eye open. Fathers have become refugees in their own country. This is the reality we face — a nation battling insecurity on all fronts.
From the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East to the activities of bandits in the North-West, and the rise in kidnapping and armed robbery in the South, it is clear that no region is spared. Nigerians, both rich and poor, educated and uneducated, are affected. The roads we once used without fear are now death traps. Even schools — the supposed safe spaces for learning — are being attacked. What kind of future are we building if our children cannot learn in peace?
Many people now live in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, far from the homes they once knew. Their stories are heartbreaking. A man who used to be a farmer in Sokoto now begs on the streets of Abuja. A young girl in Jos dreams of returning to school, but she lost her parents in a night raid. These are not just statistics. They are real people, fellow Nigerians, whose lives have been turned upside down.
While the government continues to promise security, the average Nigerian is asking: When? For how long must we live like this? Yes, we hear of new policies and security budgets, but what the people need is action. What we need is peace we can feel.
Security should not only be about guns and uniforms. It should also be about jobs, education, fairness, and justice. When young people are busy with school and employment, they are less likely to join criminal groups. When communities feel protected and included, they are more likely to cooperate with authorities.
As citizens, we also have a role to play. We must report suspicious activities, support our neighbours, and stop spreading messages that divide us. Nigeria is our home, and if we do not take care of it, who will?
This is a call to all leaders — from the top to the grassroots: Do more. This is a call to every Nigerian: Let us not give up. We have suffered enough. It is time for healing. It is time for safety. It is time to reclaim our country from fear.
