iPostThisWeek

In the heart of Nigeria, where the soil glimmers with mineral wealth and the air trembles with fear, a question rises like dust from a forgotten road: What does a government choose to protect, the veins of the earth or the pulse of its people? This essay explores a troubling paradox: while citizens face escalating violence, kidnappings, and terror, the state appears more invested in safeguarding mineral resources than human lives. Through policy choices, security deployments, and silence in the face of tragedy, Nigeria’s prerogative seems increasingly tilted toward profit over protection. A Nation in Crisis Nigeria’s security landscape is fractured. From the forests of Zamfara, the farmlands of Benue and Nasarawa, to the highways of Kaduna, Anambra, and Imo, citizens live under siege. Bandits raid villages, terrorists strike with impunity, ‘unknown gunmen’ maraud both day and night, and kidnappings have become a grim economy. In the first half of 2023 alone, over 3,000 people ...