By Oluwasore Alabi
The explosions that rocked Offa in the state of Kwara on Christmas night again brought to the fore questions about the security readiness of Nigeria, especially during the present foreign military presence in the country.
The citizens of Offa were left in a state of panic following two explosions that damaged buildings close to a prayer ground and a hotel mere hours after airstrikes by the United States targeting ISIS in Sokoto State. Although there were no reported casualties, the fear generated from such an event was real and justified.
The question at the heart of the public concern is the timing. The bombings occurred only a few hours after US airstrikes were confirmed. This is despite a security source later revealing they had arrived in the form of a missile component destined for use in the operation. Although the incident has yet to be officially connected to the US bombing operation, many Nigerians are left feeling quite disturbed.
In terms of security, there are many questions to be asked here. When component parts of missiles can go off course and land hundreds of kilometers away from their targets, can coordination and safety margins really be trusted? Nigeria’s foreign military alliances cannot jeopardize innocent lives by association or proxy.
The reaction of the authorities has been calm but very slow. The local government officials and police have confirmed that there were investigations underway and that people should remain calm. While this was necessary, it was not sufficient. In situations like these, silence generates fear faster than bombs ever can. It would have been helpful if there was communication from federal security institutions.
Another issue is that of transparency. As Nigerians, they should know all the information with respect to any foreign military operation that is done either inside or around their territory, just because there could be some unforeseen consequences to some of these operations for civilians. National security should not become the reason for covering up public information.
However, it must be noted that it is also a fact that one must not be hasty in drawing conclusions. To date, there has been no conclusive evidence found to confirm a link between the Offa explosions and the US strikes. In fact, it is part of a responsible public discourse to be neither alarmed nor conspiratorial.
Ultimately, however, the Offa incident brings to light a rather alarming trend. As a country moves forward into more security alliances in the fight against terror, their safety has to be at all times the paramount interest. In a fight against insurgency, it should not promote a different insecurity for citizens. In cases where explosions take place far away from battlefronts, the question that Nigerians seem to be left to ponder is: who is being protected and at what expense?
