I will call him John for the purpose of this article. He is one of the internally displaced persons living in the camp at Yelwata. IDP camps are dotted all over parts of the north as a sign of the times we live in - but that is a story for another day. John had gone to a neighbouring State to do some petty work so he could at least try to feed his family. After all, disadvantaged and incapacitated as he was by the circumstances he found himself in which had turned his world upside down, he was still the head of his home. He had a wife and three children who depended, or should depend, on him. That singular decision to try to fend for his family saved his life. He was thus away when words got to him that some killers who lacked any form of humanity had visited the camp. He rushed back home fearing the worst. His worst nightmare came true. His entire family had been wiped out in the most gruesome way. Could one truly say he was lucky to be alive? Could this walking corpse who has had to live with trauma after trauma within a short span, call himself lucky? Could he ever be a man again? This, unfortunately, is just one life story behind the said two hundred people who were massacred in an overnight orgy of violence. Each of those two hundred has their own story – shattered dreams, dislocated families, a ten month-old child becoming an orphan. Some other life stories are even more alarming. A man was said to have lost about twenty-three relatives on that single night.

So disturbed was I about this wanton waste of human lives that I placed a call to my wife’s senior sister whose husband is from Benue State. They had a home in Makurdi and must be cognizant with the area in question. Besides, the husband grew up in the village and in all probability, had transversed the area countless times. Never would the thought occur to him and many indigenes of the State, that he would ever feel unsafe in that area in his lifetime. Later in the evening, my sister-in-law sent some videos and photographs to me. She should have warned me that some of the contents were disturbing because they truly were. It is hard to imagine animals being murdered and cannibalized in such a gruesome manner let alone fellow human beings. The Yelwata incident is the third happening in quick succession in Benue State alone. There are other skirmishes happening all over the country. And like other incidents, the perpetrators disappear into the night only to regroup sooner than expected to commit another heinous attack. These attacks are followed by the usual platitudes and recriminations. No thought is given to the psyche of the so called survivors, those who, in one single night had had their homes and hopes dashed, especially those who have witnessed these things happening again and again. No thought is given to the psyche of a nation that allows these and other atrocities to go largely unpunished. I believe it is elementary that intelligence and security forces would be on high alert in areas of continuous conflict. Yet, reports after reports indicate that locals sometimes alert security forces days before these attacks are effected. Yet they happen again and again with security forces showing up after the worst of the attacks had been carried out. What really is happening? The country spends a huge part of its meagre resources on defense and security. The citizenry has a right to expect that a pattern to these nefarious activities would have been identified by now. It is no use saying our borders are porous. Intelligence should now have known how these guns are coming in and by whom. Nigeria doesn’t manufacture AK47 as far as I know. War, however called, is expensive. Who is financing the war against our country’s sovereignty and economic interests? Are the foot soldiers being used fellow Nigerians?

If our National Security Adviser doesn’t have the answers to these concerns, perhaps it is time to change him, and party loyalties be damned. And if he does, is there the will to provide solutions? Speaking of which, the Army hierarchy boasted early this year that the days of a particularly notorious terrorist were numbered. It is beginning to look like an empty boast. And then, just the other day, another notorious bandit who had been declared wanted by the Military, was caught on video negotiating and giving conditions for peace. Another Governor was heard saying he was prepared to negotiate with the killers of his people – what was the outcome of the last Governor who negotiated with bandits? What messages are these actions sending to Nigerians? The message for me, is either that Nigeria, despite the atrocities of these kingpins, is unwilling or unable to apprehend them and thereby procure peace on its terms, or that there is more to what is going on than meets the common eye. And this brings me to Fela’s song, ‘The Unknown Soldier’. Some five decades ago, those living around Fela’s house in Ojuelegba witnessed his house being invaded by security forces. The house was eventually burnt down killing his celebrated mother who was living with him. The official investigation that followed failed to identify, let alone punish the culprits. This confounded Nigerians, given that newspapers were not allowed to publish the burning of the house itself as it happened. This led to the writing of the song. And today, whenever I think of unsolved, high profile murders, I think of the song. Whenever I think of herdsmen, bandits and even terrorists who have escaped justice and continue to do so, I think of the song.

Already, the usual refrain of reconciliation and forgiveness has come up again. Authorities are already preaching against reprisal attacks. These for me, are sermons for the pulpit. Most religions preach forgiveness and reconciliation. They preach against vendetta. Vengeance, they say belongs to God. While people are urged to practice those doctrines, they must not be confused with the role of the State which is to bring criminals to justice. I can for example, decide to forgive the killer of my father. But that choice should not preclude the duty of State to apprehend and punish him. Besides, there will be no need for reprisal attacks if the system regularly brings perpetrators to justice. Killers, and their sponsors, must be made accountable for their actions. That is one path to peace. We are tired of unknown herdsmen destroying farms, properties and lives so wantonly and getting away as if they were ghosts.

• Muyiwa Adetiba is a veteran journalist and publisher. He can be reached via titbits2012@yahoo.co