They left their homes as usual full of hopes, students, teachers. No inkling about what will happen.

But, the unusual happened and family members are still expecting them back – after 24 days in captivity? 

Nigeria is getting used to this kind of news. Every page of newspaper, radio and TV reviews are full of such stories. We have lost count of the number of people in captivity.

News from yonder, Borno, Yobe, Zamfara, have become realities in the South-West. Bandits have gradually relocated and are telling us they are in charge.

Yet life goes on! Teachers are still teaching and everything seems normal. We simply see the news as one of the regular narratives.

Imagine a three-year old child in captivity. “Mummy, where are we?” “I am hungry.” “I want to pooh pooh,” “I want biscuit.” “Biscuit ke!” Can you blame the poor child?

Will these children ever be like the normal ones after release, with what they would unfortunately have witnessed?

Imagine menstruating women. How have they been coping? 

The same clothes for 23 days! Trekking kilometres in the bush. What do they eat? Do they sleep at all?

Now let’s get to their homes Ahoro-Esinele, Yawota, in the Oriire Loca Government 

Area of Oyo State. Imagine fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, community members – crying, praying, hoping daily for news. Will the news be good or bad?

Thinking about the family of the beheaded Michael Oyedokun. What was his sin?

Will such fate befall others? God forbid! 

Will they ever come back? We earnestly pray so. There is nothing too difficult for God to do.

Oh Lord, please throw confusion into the midst of these marauders. Scatter them, visit them with you fire, and free the captives.

Hope deferred, makes the heart sick. Where are the law enforcers? Are they also afraid to confront them?

I was in Gbongan, a town in Osun State two days ago, parents and guardians now watch the streets before they dare allow children to set out for school. 

No more early to school! Many children don’t leave homes for school until past 9 or 10 am. They need to watch out to ensure the coast is clear. 

Schools gates are tightly shut and any sound of a vehicle raises suspicion.

Assembling is now very brief. No elaborate words. 

How can they sing “Nigeria we hail there” in fear? How can they “pledge to be Nigeria” in terror? How can teachers teach in apprehension?

Boko Haram seems to be winning the war against Western education.

 “It is better to be alive than to be in school”, many parents are reasoning and justifying.

What they desire appears to be working, even in the southwest? 

Nowhere is safe, schools, streets, homes, churches, farmlands!

Villages deserted, streets empty, farms overgrown with weeds. What do we call this but a war situation? 

War against harmless people, including innocent children drenched, clenching teeth, shivering in the rain.

How long will this continue?

How did we get here? A situation in which the fear of the bandits is the beginning of wisdom even for security agents!

No one seems to be strong enough to confront them. Not even our armed forces with their arsenals. 

Governance is about the protection of the people. A government that cannot protect people is a failure, no matter any other achievements.

This issue can NEVER be beyond the government’s capacity. WE MUST WIN THIS WAR!

Please, let this go viral. It is a call to our government to do their primary duty – secure our lives. 

Thank you.

Rotimi Taiwo is a professor of English and New Media Studies, Department of English, Obafemi Awolowo University , Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria.