The Unfortunate Price of “Second-Term” Politics: Middle Belt Nigeria

By Zariy Yusuf

It does seem the primarily focus of some politicians has moved away from impactful governance – if at all they swore their oath of office with sincerity – to scheming how to remain in power, come 2027. Protection of lives and property must no longer be seen as strictly a Federal government responsibility; state governors and elected representatives must be held accountable as well.

Kaduna and Plateau states have seen a lot of bloodshed within these past days with a kind of response I can best describe as either weak or cowardly from the state governors. There is an energy that forces one to think that even the response of these “chief security officers” must be such that does not displease the centre.

Kaduna is notorious for suppression of the facts about the activities of these militant Islamists, who are more conveniently described as mere “bandits”, thanks to the immediate past governor, Nasir Elrufa’i.

The Adara nation has suffered untold raids from these extremists with little or no media or government attention. Mrs Haske Solomon was abducted in a raid in the early hours of March 17th, 2026 in addition to three others that were taken on the 10th of March, 2026. The terrorists are demanding a ransom of 20 million naira.

The recent massacres of Christians in these states (Kagarko in Kaduna and Unguwar Rukuba in Plateau) should be a call on the political leaders of these states and the entirety of the Middle Belt to focus on their primary assignment and not betray their people in the pursuit of their political ambition.

The visit of the president to the Plateau betrayed how much the leadership in the Middle Belt is lacking. At least, someone would have insisted the president stayed back in Abuja and make a call to the victims or proceed on his trip to Ogun, instead of dragging mourners to the airport to meet him. Something reminiscent to his visit to another Middle Beltan state, Benue, over the Yelewata massacre.

Simply put, the massive decamping of the politicians of the Middle Belt to the APC seems to have no bargain for their people other than the very hope of those politicians to clinch a second term or benefit their ambitions, as the case may be. At least in terms of the massacre of Middle Beltans, the mass decamping of the political leaders of the region to the ruling party has been of no consequence whatsoever.

It is my sincere belief that if the government has failed in protecting the lives of the peoples of the Middle Belt or eliminating these Islamists who kill with impunity and always get away freely, then it must allow for the people to arm and organize at community levels to protect what seems to be the only thing they have left – their lives and those of their loved ones.

Gov. Uba Sani of Kaduna must suspend all antics about and against the 2027 elections, account for the security of his state and immediately attend to Kagarko, where over 13 people were killed, 10 wounded and 28 abducted. Silence about the security mess Kaduna state is in does not change the reality on ground.

The report from Kagarko is heartbreaking:

Killed:

1. Douglas John

2. Ado Yakubu

3. Mai Kano Aribi

4. John Dan Asabe

5. Williams Luka

6. Bako Danjuma

7. Joseph Yakubu

8. Victor Peter

9. Peter Williams

10. Dogara Markus