TDThe 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended stipulates amongst other provisions that:
The state must ensure the protection of lives and properties of the people at all times.
It also stipulates that the Government has the responsibility to defend the territorial integrity of the Nigerian state against foreign invasion and guarantee safety of lives within the Nigerian state.
The current spikes in terrorist attacks across several states in Nigeria has exposed great limitations in the efficacy of the 1999 Constitution to guarantee the exercise of state powers in dealing with security breaches and the overwhelming inability of the Nigerian security architecture to tame and exterminate rampant terrorist attacks that have engulfed the entire country on daily basis.
The spate of current terrorist activities in Nigeria have exposed the weaknesses inherent in the 1999 constitution to the effect that rather than the state authority use force to exterminate terrorism, has reclined to adopting negotiations, pleadings and pampering to pacify terrorists while undermining state power and tacitly encouraging terrorism to fester in the face of lukewarm response to terrorism umbrage asserted by non state actors.
The kidnap of forty six (46) school children from irinle in Oyo state May 2026 and the inability of the oyo state government to use the apparatuses of state power to rescue the children before the terrorists sent in their demands of…
- One billion naira cash ransom award to be paid into a foreign bank account in Cotonou.
- Demand for two hilux operational vehicles to fortify their operations.
- Amendments of Oyo state laws to accord terrorists some rights of existence, or movement and operations in Oyo state
…are to say the least the outsourcing of State authority to non state actors.
Terrorists have been given wings to operate and fly in Nigeria because of the 1999 Constitution which is a unitary federalist constitution that vested all operational security authority at the center and leaving the state governors as mere spectators instead of wielding absolute powers to deal frontally with terrorist attacks at time of occurrence with commensurate state power to over awe and eliminate the illegal theatrics of non state actors.
The 1999 constitution while making the subnationals weak in responding to security challenges has also made the Federal government nonchalant in responding rapidly to security breaches within the sphere of the subnationals promptly.
Terrorists as we know them in Nigeria are cattle herders from known locations and affiliated with known faith practices.
When terrorists begin to make demands for legal coverage or leverage, it is to the effect that their activities are overtly enshrined in the 1999 constitution under the auspices of Shariah Law.
Terrorists are now drawing the attention of state governors to respect and implement the Shariah Law as enshrined in the 1999 constitution and the Chief Law officer of Nigeria in person of the Attorney General of the Federation should not pretend ignorance of the import of the terrorists demand for legal accreditation as part of their negotiation towards considering release of the abducted school children.
The 1999 constitution that was written by the military regime of General Abdulsalami Abubakar inserted Shariah provisions which has become a bait by terrorists to assert it’s implementation.
The 1999 constitution when properly read and interpreted with it’s Shariah provisions is at the center of the burgeoning insecurity unleashed all over Nigeria since 2001 when Governor Yerima of Zamfara state declared sharia Law in Zamfara and other states in the North followed suit consecutively.
The insecurity in Nigeria has religion as it’s pedant, land grabbing as it’s token and kidnapping as it’s modus operandi and the end point is probable instability as is currently prevalent in Nigeria.
The political solution to terrorism in Nigeria is the abrogation and replacement of the 1999 constitution with a new constitution without faith provisions but strictly ensuring the secular status of Nigeria as it was on independence in 1960.
Terrorism has divided Nigeria along ethnic and religious lines, emblazoned bigotry, reinstated hatred and destabilised the Nigerian economy.
Until Nigeria is restructured constitutionally, politically, and economically, peace will remain elusive, growth distorted, development disrupted and security of lives and properties obviated.
It is wrong of the National Assembly to be chiding, scorning and summoning the Security Chiefs at intervals when they know that the problem is with the intricate jigsaws inserted in the 1999 constitution of Nigeria.
Today’s terrorism is previous Nigeria’s Military regimes trap for the civilian administration to unlock or be caged in by it and only the National Assembly can untie the jigsaw by a new constitution with full restructuring of Nigeria for effective Federal democratic governance.
God bless Nigeria.
