By Yusufu Shehu Usman

The widespread scourge of insecurity across the nation is a matter of grave disturbance and concern to all Nigerians of all walks of life.
It has assumed a national dimension and threatening all the fabrics that hold us together as a nation and as a people.
The government of President Buhari is not resting on it’s oars as it is doing everything it can to address the issue.
It is not unexpected that some Nigerians are even advocating for a state of emergency to be declared against insecurity and it’s manifestation in the form of insurgency, banditry and kidnapping,
As we intensify efforts to conquer the scourge, we should also commit ourselves to prayers. These are calamities that have befallen the Nigerian nation at a crucial stage of our development and evolution as a free and prosperous nation
There are spiritual dimensions to the scourge of insecurity in any society.
I believe it is a form of punishment visited on us by the Almighty God for our transgressions, sins and disobedience to the commandments of God the creator.
It is established and deep rooted in history overtime that when a society degenerates and neglects to live in compliance with the divine laws or when corruption, impunity, inequity and injustice becomes rampant in a society, the Almighty God tries that society with all kinds and manners of affliction as a punishment for transgression.
It is true that both the good and the bad aspects of any development in human societies are created and controlled by the Almighty God but in His wisdom and divine sense of Justice, He has prescribed the good for us and prohibits us from the bad while empowering us with the faculty to discriminate between good and evil.
The Almighty has given us the freedom of thought and action. It is at our discretion to either act in obedience to His commands and instructions or act according to our desires whims and caprices
The most important thing to know is that there are consequences for either line of action we chose.
If we do good and act in compliance with the divine laws and instructions, God will bless us and reward us accordingly for our obedience and submission to His divine Will. He will enthrone peace, tranquility and progress in the society, in addition to the more important reward in the hereafter
On the flip side, if we chose the path of transgression, impertinence and disobedience to the divine laws of our creator, He promises torment, trepidation and tribulations in return and that society will suffer all kinds of trials and afflictions including but not limited to strange and deadly diseases, poverty and insecurity.
As a Muslim, I understand and believe the statement of Allah to the effect that whatever good comes to the society, it is from Allah but we court evil and earn it’s wrath from what we concieve in our evil minds and translate them in to sins and perditious actions
Allah is the most Just judge and the absolute dispenser of all affairs and He rewards each act according to it’s compliance or non compliance with the laws He has laid down for the guidance of man and the society.
It can not be argued that security and insecurity are in His full control. He provides security for those He wills and afflicts those He wills with insecurity. It is at the absolute discretion of Allah to grant peace and security to any nation and deprive any nation of security but it must be appreciated that Allah doesn’t act arbitrarily nor unjustly
Under the laws of Allah, every soul gets what it deserves of bounties or deprivation according to it’s actions or deeds
It is my firm belief that Allah has put us to trial through insecurity not because He is unfair to Nigeria as a nation but because we have deviated from His divine guidance and indulged ourselves in acts of sin, corruption, injustice and inequity in the ways we conduct our affairs as a nation
We are reaping the result of our own acts.
We have entrenched corruption, we deprive the poor, the under privileged and the vulnerable members of the society of their rights, we perpetuate injustice against the weak.
We are doing everything to incur the wrath and anger of our creator
In these circumstances, how can we expect peace to reign in our society?
The way out in my view, is for us to return to the path of piety, repent and turn a good leaf
We should root out corruption, address the acts of injustice and oppression that we have planted and are nurturing in the system. If we don’t have mercy on the weak and the poor among us, how do we expect to benefit from the mercy and bounties of Allah
Therefore, if we want peace to reign and our society to be saved from the pangs of insurgency, insecurity and other violent afflictions, we must wake up, put the best strategies in place deploy human and material resources to the fight against insecurity and above all amend our ways to be in obedience to the divine laws of our creator
As a Muslim, I believe the words of Allah in the glorious Quran when He said Allah will not change the situation of any society unless they strive to change it themselves. Allah has spoken the truth.
We have the choice and the opportunity to change our situation and by the special grace of God, find a solution to the insecurity that has afflicted our nation and is threatening the very basis of our existence as a people.
Let us repent for Allah surely loves those who turn to Him in repentance and He has promised forgiveness no matter who grave our sins might be.
As we repent and strive through our own little efforts to curb insecurity, we will see and experience the mighty hands of God in our affairs. He may forgive us and change our situation for the better.
By Allah’s mercy and Grace, He will secure Nigeria and grant us the blessings of peace, security and progress.