Nigerians lament over national security as election draws nearer

Just a few weeks to the general elections in Nigeria and its citizens are yearning for a drastic change in the security sector.

Although President Muhammadu Buhari, who is looking to acquire another four-year term with victory in the February 16 election, has assured Nigerians that the fight against insecurity and insurgency has been intensified, confidence is low.

For most of 2018, incessant terrorist attacks by Boko Haram, and wanton acts of violence exhibited through gunmen attacks, assassinations, and kidnappings have unsettled the nation's peace of mind.

Pulse went to the streets of Lagos to ask about national security and how it affects the nation as the 2019 general elections beckons.

Nigerians laid bare their fears on the topic and also proffered solution to the challenges. (For clarity, the names of the sources who spoke to Pulse remain anonymous.)

On the issue of rating the security in the country, majority opined that Nigerians are not safe.

Thomson Ade, who spoke in Pidgin English, said " We are not safe anymore. If the Chief of Defence Staff can be assassinated then, we are not safe."

Ikechukwu, frowned at the rate at which security agents are being attacked and killed adding that they're ill-equipped to fight insurgency.

He said, "They are not given proper equipment and they have to wait for order to shoot or not to. Soldiers are humans like us, as they are being killed we are not happy and it says a lot about how secure we are."

"I'll give them 60% and I believe after the election the security will be better,'' says Mr. Innocent, who explained that he made the rating based on what he witnessed in two other African countries he visited.

Adding to the subject, Barry Goodspead, said, "The government's primary function is secure the lives and property of Nigerians. If there are no Nigerians, who would he rule? Nobody. On that ground, the rating of the government in power with regards security is poor."

While addressing delegates at an army conference in Maiduguri in November 2018, Buhari said, "There has been a remarkable improvement in the security situation in the northeast since 2015 when this administration came to power."

Some have cast doubts over the accuracy of the president's claim, with a majority claiming the current state the nation is with regards security is nothing to write about.

Abiola, however, is of the opinion that Boko Haram and all their attacks is being fueled by politicians. He said the fight against insurgency is staged by bad political leaders.

For the forthcoming general election, they urged politicians seeking political offices to promise them adequate security in order to make their votes count. Other than this, they urged other citizens to be vigilant during the election.