Why terror persists, another governor opens up

•President, NSA doing their best but … By Evelyn Usman It was not an interview. It was a private conversation, a rare moment of candour from a sitting governor who, in a hushed tone, admitted what many Nigerians dread to hear: insurgency and banditry may not end soon. The chat, which began on routine social issues, veered into the thorny subject of insecurity: the monster that has bled the North-East for over a decade, battered the North-West, and is now creeping steadily towards Kwara., in the North Central region. The governor spoke freely, not for the record, but as one who carried a heavy burden. His words were sobering, his fears genuine. Tribute to Tinubu and Ribadu Before laying bare the challenges, he was quick to give credit where it was due. He said “To be fair to President Bola Tinubu, he has done a lot and continues to do more in this fight. Anything the military requests, he approves. He funds them and wants this thing to end.” The governor extended the same regard to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. “The help we are getting now is from the office of the NSA. Himself and the President are doing their best,” he noted. His tone carried no politics, only respect for the effort being made from the top. Why, then, are the attacks unending? The question that refused to leave my mind was as haunting as the stories of the victims themselves: if the President is pouring in funds and the NSA is visibly committed, why do kidnappings rage on? Why do insurgents still strut brazenly in Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara and now creep ominously towards Kwara? I asked, not just as a journalist, but as a troubled witness to a nation’s slow bleeding, waiting for the governor’s answer. The governor paused before dropping the bombshell. ”This thing may not end soon. The troops are trying, but they are overstretched. Many have been in the battlefront for too long. They are exhausted. And the people they are facing have heavy weapons too.” According to him, insurgents were not only resilient but also replenishing their ranks. Admitting that the Military and other security agents were killing these violent non-state actors , he said , “They are killing them, yes ! But more are joining them,” he lamented. His words echoed the private confession of another northern governor, who admitted that the fight has dragged on because the forces confronting the bandits were overwhelmed. Source:Vanguard News