Nigeria has entered a dark, humiliating chapter in its history, one where bandits roam freely, kidnap citizens in broad daylight, film themselves on TikTok, and return home untouched. The country that once boasted Africa’s strongest military is now a playground for criminals who operate with more confidence than elected officials. And every time schoolchildren are kidnapped and later “rescued,” one thing stays constant: no arrests. None. Zero.
So the question becomes louder: Is Nigeria afraid of bandits?
Because from all indications, the government behaves like it is.
A Nation That Celebrates Rescue
Each time schoolchildren are kidnapped, Nigerians hold their breath. Not because they expect the criminals to be caught, that dream died years ago — but because they are praying the children come back alive. Our new national standard is survival, not justice. Return, not accountability.
The latest Kebbi schoolgirls rescue is no different. Twenty-four children were freed, and once again, the government sang its usual tired chorus: “Saving lives comes first.” But saving lives should not erase the need to catch the people taking those lives hostage in the first place. The two goals are not mutually exclusive, except in Nigeria, where law enforcement treats bandits like sacred cows.
Bandits Have Confidence
Bandits are not hiding. They are not underground. They are not in caves. They are on TikTok, showing their faces, weapons, camps, and even mocking the government.
And what has the Nigerian state done?
NOTHING.
How can a government watch terrorists build a social media presence yet fail to track, trace, or neutralize them? But of course, it’s easy to see why. Criminals in Nigeria are fearless because the government is fearful, fearful of confronting them, fearful of losing the kickbacks from backdoor negotiations, fearful of disrupting whatever unholy alliances exist in the shadows.
Why Are We Negotiating With Terrorists?
Each time kidnappers return victims, someone somewhere negotiates.
- Negotiations mean leverage.
- Leverage means power.
- Power means money.
- And money means corruption.
A country serious about defeating terrorism does not negotiate repeatedly with the same criminals while refusing to arrest them. The government asks citizens to “be patient” while terrorists ask for ransom and get it.
The Nigerian state claims it “doesn’t have the technology” to track bandits. Yet these same bandits upload videos, post online, and communicate freely. How does a country with drones, fighter jets, and foreign intelligence support magically become blind when bandits are involved?
Unless, of course, it is willful blindness.
The Government Shows More Strength Against Protesters Than Terrorists
When citizens protest peacefully, soldiers appear within minutes.
When students demand ASUU payments, police form barricades.
When youths hold placards against corruption, armoured tanks roll out.
But when armed bandits abduct children?
Suddenly, the government becomes gentle, cautious, and deeply philosophical.
Suddenly, “every rescue mission is complicated.”
Suddenly, “we must be careful not to endanger the children.”
Suddenly, “we’ll catch them later.”
Later suddenly becomes never.
Nigeria Treats Bandits Like Untouchable Kings
A government that is not afraid act.
A government that fears criminals negotiates.
These bandits have become unofficial regional landlords. They control forests, highways, villages, and now social media. They collect taxes. They conduct interviews. They issue threats. And Nigeria — the giant of Africa — trembles.
If this isn’t fear, what is it?
Enough is Enough
Nigeria cannot continue like this.
It cannot normalise mass abduction.
It cannot keep recycling excuses while criminals evolve.
Children cannot grow up believing government exists only to issue condolences.
If the Nigerian government cannot arrest bandits, then what exactly can it do?
If it cannot protect citizens, why does it exist?
If criminals have more freedom than law-abiding people, then who is truly in control?
The government asks Nigerians to be patient.
But patience has become another word for helplessness.
And helplessness is now the national security strategy.
A country afraid of its criminals is not a country.
It is a territory waiting to collapse.
Until Nigeria arrests the men who kidnap its children, terrorise its villages, and dance on TikTok with AK-47s, this government will remain what it is today: a system that fears bandits more than it protects its own people.
