On 9 October, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) warned its citizens against travelling to several states, including Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, Katsina, Zamfara, Bauchi, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoto, Niger, Kogi, Plateau, Taraba, and parts of the Federal Capital Territory.
FCDO cited escalating insecurity, violent crime, terrorism, and widespread kidnappings.
In getting residents’ reaction to the UK warning, which came after US President Donald Trump issued a threat to target Nigeria over the continued killing of Christians, the New Daily Prime visited Plateau.
Speaking in an interview with this newspaper, Pharmacist Jabeel Abednego Isah, Marketing Manager for Zolon Healthcare and EMZO Pharma Industry, overseeing the North-East, criticised the UK government for naming the state as unsafe for travel.
READ ALSO: North-Central APC forum backs Mutfwang defection, slams Plateau leaders’s rejection
The pharmacist offered a nuanced perspective on the region’s persistent security challenges during an interview with this newspaper on Friday.
Mr Isah, who resides in Jos South Local Government Area, cautioned against sweeping generalisations and rejected claims that the attacks are driven solely by religious motives.
Mr Isah acknowledged the security challenges in Nigeria, particularly in Plateau State, but emphasised the need for a balanced perspective.
“It is a matter of concern, agreed, but it is not so generalised as being carried there because it is a matter of being localised”, he stated.
He pointed out that while some local governments in Plateau are heavily affected, the problem does not encompass the entire state.
Addressing the religious dimension often associated with the Plateau crisis, Mr Isah noted that because Plateau has a Christian majority, a high percentage of attack victims are naturally Christians.
However, he argued that this pattern alone is insufficient to draw a final conclusion about the attackers’ motives.
He extended his analysis to other states in Nigeria’s North, such as Zamfara, Katsina, Borno, and Yobe, which are predominantly Muslim.
In these areas, he maintained that the victims of attacks and security challenges are primarily Muslims.
“The attackers or the insurgents are also said to be Muslims. So for us, we cannot just draw a conclusion that it is done based on religion,” he explained.
He suggested that to determine the true intent of the attackers, one must look beyond Plateau to the security dynamics across the entire country.
“In one way, it can be looked at as being religious. In another way, it cannot be religious,” he noted.
Govt efforts
Regarding the government’s efforts to tackle insecurity, Mr Isah acknowledged that the security situation is not yet at the desired level.
He recognised and appreciated the government’s commitment and efforts, noting a tangible, albeit small, improvement.
As a specific example, he mentioned that the journey from Abuja to Jos, which was previously fraught with numerous checkpoints and a high risk of attacks, is now less challenging.
“Those challenges are not like the way they used to be,” he said.
Mr Isah stated that while there is a “little improvement”, more is expected from both the government and the security agencies in their approach to creating a safer environment for citizens.
Nigeria has grappled with severe security threats for more than a decade, marked by terrorism, armed banditry, separatist agitation, and recurring communal violence.
The Boko Haram uprising, which began in the North-East in 2009, has grown into a far-reaching humanitarian disaster, forcing millions from their homes and leaving the region deeply destabilised.
Although the military has repeatedly announced the recovery of territories once held by insurgents, offshoot factions, most notably the Islamic State West Africa Province, continue to stage lethal assaults on civilians, security personnel, and humanitarian workers across Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa.
In the North-West and sections of the North-Central, armed bandit groups have expanded their operations, engaging in mass kidnappings, extortion, and cattle theft.
READ ALSO: Court declares Plateau lawmaker Adamu Aliyu wanted over alleged TETFund Fraud
At the same time, the South-East has experienced heightened unrest fuelled by separatist movements advocating the revival of Biafra, leading to frequent confrontations with security agencies, the imposition of sit-at-home directives, and a rise in targeted killings.
While the Niger Delta and broader South-South have enjoyed relative calm compared with previous years, the region remains fragile, with sporadic outbreaks of criminality and militancy linked to oil theft and pipeline sabotage.
