“Such incidents must be stopped. Citizens are urged to alert the police about any unusual movements.”....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Nothing underscores the disturbing resurgence of arbitrary and brutal killings across Nigeria more than the recent horrific lynching of 14 individuals in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State. The victims, reportedly journeying from Zaria in Kaduna State to attend a wedding in Qua’an Pan LGA, met a tragic fate when they lost their way and stopped to seek directions. A suspicious mob descended on them, set their bus ablaze, and murdered them in cold blood, leaving several others injured.

This unprovoked and savage assault on innocent travelers is not an isolated incident. It reflects a deep-rooted mistrust and breakdown of social cohesion among communities across the country. The frequency of such attacks is alarming. Just this week, about 10 individuals holding a peaceful meeting were gruesomely killed in Ogboji, Orumba South LGA of Anambra State. The victims, said to be from Ebonyi State, were shot at close range—a crime Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru condemned as “senseless, barbaric, and an affront to peace, unity, and the sanctity of human life.”

“It defies reason and logic,” the governor remarked, “that a group of Ebonyians convening peacefully could be executed in such a manner. It is utterly unacceptable, and I strongly condemn this heinous act.”

During the recent Sallah festivities, another horrifying incident unfolded: 16 farmers travelling from Port Harcourt to Kano were ambushed and killed in Uromi, Edo State, by a mob who disbelieved their claims of being hunters. This extrajudicial execution triggered tension between Kano and Edo states, which, fortunately, did not escalate further due to the mature intervention of both states’ leadership.

Even in cases where locals suspect strangers of criminal intent, it remains the duty of responsible citizens to hand them over to law enforcement—not to resort to mob justice. The rule of law must prevail over lawlessness.

Beyond these mob killings, there’s a troubling rise in indiscriminate violence worsening Nigeria’s security landscape and deepening the climate of fear. In the last week of June, 12 people died in Konduga LGA, Borno State, when a female suicide bomber detonated an explosive. Around the same time, a military mortar accident along Kano’s Eastern Bypass killed five individuals. In Kebbi State, at least 30 lives were lost in multiple bandit attacks within the Zuru Emirate.

These recurring tragedies highlight the urgent need for federal and state governments to fast-track the establishment of state police. There is now a growing consensus that decentralising security operations is critical. Locally recruited police forces can better identify and confront security challenges unique to their communities than a centralised force can.

Governors must also rethink the use of security votes by investing significantly in community-based security infrastructure. After all, all security is ultimately local.

It is equally imperative for security agencies to conduct thorough investigations into these persistent violent incidents to determine whether there are political motives aimed at creating widespread instability, tarnishing the image of the current administration, or influencing the 2027 elections.

The Bola Tinubu administration must also scale up its efforts to revitalise the economy, create jobs, and reduce poverty. Economic hardship is a key driver of insecurity, often exploited by those with destabilising agendas.

Finally, impunity must end. When violent crimes go uninvestigated, unpunished, and unprosecuted, it emboldens more criminals. Justice must not only be done—it must be seen to be done—to deter future acts of violence and restore faith in the Nigerian state.

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