By\u00a0John Uwaya<\/p>\n
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There has always been a post-election violence in Nigeria even with votes cast for President Goodluck E. Jonathan in 2011 hallmarking a nationwide popularity or acceptability that time. But with the rancorous build-up to the 2015 presidential election, many reasonably feared that any post-election violence this time would not be the usual but a harbinger of the long predicted break-up of the country.<\/p>\n
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Therefore, it was no surprise that while the generality of Nigerians resigned to fate, others of moderate means crisscrossed the country for places of relative safety to escape an imminent doom. Still, those with the wherewithal relocated altogether outside Nigeria until outcome of the presidential election could be deciphered from a safe distance. In all that race for dear life, neither were foreign countries left out. After months of rehearsals, ships were eventually within a few nautical miles of Nigeria\u2019s coastline just like planes were barely minutes away from her airspace \u2013 all in readiness to evacuate foreign nationals at a very short notice under the watchful eyes of Special Forces.<\/p>\n
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Just then, a bombshell in a continent notorious for bad electoral losers and sit-tight presidents who would rather watch vultures and dogs feast on their electorate\u2019s flesh than play the statesman. \u00a0President Jonathan, much to a global surprise and applause, graciously conceded victory to his closest rival – President Muhammadu Buhari in the March 28, 2015 presidential election ever before the official result of the ballot. But while his patriotism instantly defused the usual spontaneous but benign violence by losers, the malignant and more dangerous fallout of a \u201cdo or die\u201d polity appears to be baring its fangs.<\/p>\n
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Right now, there is a noticeable upsurge in violent crimes reminiscent of political thugs deploying weapons initially intended for electoral violence for other violent crimes.\u00a0 In fact, the situation could graduate into utter anarchy judging by the historic or strategic relevance of the 2015 general elections which made many fear a corresponding armament for a probable post-election Armageddon and God forbids, break-up of the country. Although spared that nightmare, should we pretend that sinister plans were never afoot for a war of attrition? If the answer is no, what then do we do about the weapons still in the hands of political thugs across the country? Except all private militia across the land are promptly identified and demobilized, Nigeria might soon return to a state of nature where life is brutish and short.<\/p>\n
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So far, in a post-election crime wave, repeated cases of kidnapping for ransom have been reported in Ekiti, Kogi, Ondo, Imo and Bayelsa States while either assassins or armed robbers have serially struck in \u00a0Lagos, Rivers, Cross River, Ebonyi, Benue, Kaduna, Ogun, Ondo, Enugu, Abuja, Osun, etc.\u00a0\u00a0 Or can all that apparent resurgence in assassinations, kidnapping for ransom and armed robberies be divorced from the antics of soon orphaned political thugs? Hurriedly abandoned with neither severance package nor demobilized by \u201cdo or die\u201d political prostitutes now forlornly seeking relevance in the ruling party, thugs across the country appear engrossed in a battle of survival. And opportunistic strikes here and there apart, their activities and arsenals pose an even greater danger to our delicate communal bonds. We should not watch them graduate to starting and fueling fresh inter-ethnic wars or helping religious insurgents realize their territorial ambition.<\/p>\n
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Obviously, those grave threats are why the Lagos State governor \u2013 His Excellency, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode recently appealed that those illegally bearing firearms should turn them in within four weeks or face the music. While that step is commendable, its restricted territorial remedy – one state out of thirty-seven (including Abuja) would not mitigate a national threat understandably accentuated by the peculiarity of the 2015 general elections.\u00a0 Except there is a nationwide illegal firearms mop up, any part of Nigeria cleared in isolation of others would soon be awash again with dangerous weapons.<\/p>\n
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Therefore, for a conducive environment to savour the dividends of our historic general elections, the authorities should embark on a simultaneous nationwide arms mop up. To that end, the carrot and stick approach is advised as opposed to threats reportedly advanced by Governor Ambode. In an envisaged carrot and stick approach, thugs should be persuaded to willingly turn in their weapons in exchange for cash tokens, vocational training or legitimate occupations. Otherwise, the dangerous thugs might simply go underground and operate with a greater air of invincibility.<\/p>\n
Mr. Uwaya lives in Lagos and wrote via johnuwaya17@yahoo.com<\/p>\n
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