Abuja-based lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju has lamented what he describes as Nigeria’s growing desensitisation to insecurity, arguing that the reported abduction of a High Court judge in Zamfara State and the earlier kidnap and killing of a senior military officer have failed to generate the sustained national outrage or political accountability such incidents would once have provoked.
In separate posts on X and Facebook, Adeyanju expressed concern over what he described as the country’s increasing acceptance of violent crime, saying Nigerians now move on too quickly from tragedies that would ordinarily shock any nation.
“The other day, bandits kidnapped a whole general and killed him after televising the entire episode, then delivered his dead body to his relatives and nothing happened.
“Nobody was arrested in the process of delivering his dead body. Everyone moved on almost immediately,” he wrote.
According to the activist, the swift return to normalcy after such a shocking incident reflects what he believes is the country’s gradual acceptance of violence and insecurity.
“Such occurrences have become normal that even the opposition no longer condemns them. This is a failed nation,” he said.
Adeyanju also argued that Nigeria has lacked an effective opposition capable of holding those in power accountable.
“The last time Nigeria had both a government and an effective opposition was in 2015,” he added.
His comments came against the backdrop of fresh reports of the abduction of a High Court judge in Zamfara State, an incident he suggested had also failed to provoke widespread public outrage or sustained pressure on the authorities.
Adeyanju argued that under previous administrations, particularly when the All Progressives Congress (APC) was in opposition, such brazen attacks on senior public officials would have triggered relentless criticism of the government and dominated national discourse.
He maintained that the relatively muted response to the latest abduction illustrates how deeply insecurity has become normalised across the country.
His remarks echo a growing concern among many Nigerians that years of terrorism, banditry, kidnappings, and other violent crimes have gradually desensitised the public to tragedies that would ordinarily trigger sustained national outrage.
Incidents that once dominated national conversations for weeks now often disappear from the headlines within days, overtaken by the next security crisis.
While successive governments routinely condemn attacks, express condolences, and promise to bring perpetrators to justice, many citizens argue that such assurances are too often followed by little visible action.
Critics also note that in many countries, far less severe security incidents have resulted in official resignations, independent investigations, sweeping policy reviews, or urgent reforms. In Nigeria, however, they argue that life frequently resumes almost immediately after each tragedy, leaving victims’ families with the impression that the nation has simply moved on.
Even when members of the armed forces and other security agencies are ambushed and killed in the line of duty, public attention often fades quickly. Beyond official statements and promises that those responsible will be apprehended, many observers say there is little sustained national reflection or accountability.
The same concern, they argue, is now extending to attacks on judicial officers and other public officials.
The debate has also focused on the role of the media. On several occasions, government officials have accused journalists and media organisations of giving undue publicity to terrorists or inadvertently glorifying their activities through extensive coverage.
Media advocates, however, insist that reporting such incidents does not amount to endorsing criminality. Rather, they argue, it is part of the press’s constitutional responsibility to inform the public, scrutinise government actions, and hold those in authority accountable.
Adeyanju’s remarks have reignited debate over whether Nigerians have become dangerously accustomed to insecurity and whether repeated tragedies are steadily losing their power to demand accountability from both the government and the political opposition.
As fresh cases of kidnappings, killings, and attacks on public officials continue to emerge, many fear that events which once shocked the nation are increasingly being treated as just another headline before public attention shifts to the next tragedy.