…As many rethink journeys
…Families with burial, marriage events on edge
As cases of abductions become rampant in Nigeria, many citizens are expressing fears over the possibility of the situation ruining their Christmas (Detty December) and New Year celebrations.
The major fears are on the security on the roads for the journeys.
Those badly affected are families that would travel to bury their loved ones and those who may wish to travel for wedding ceremonies at that period.
It is a common fact that the security and welfare of Nigerians is the primary concern and responsibility of the government, as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.
However, that enshrined responsibility is often not justiciable as the citizen cannot sue the government for negligence or failure to offer protection to Nigerians.
Security, which is considered the backbone of any development ecosystem (Nigeria inclusive), has come under threats of attack from different dimensions, especially since the return to democratic governance in 1999.
Killings, kidnappings, and violent raids by bandits, which emerged following years of farmer-herder conflict, continue to plague many of Nigeria’s states in the northern region.
Similarly, violence between predominantly Muslim herders and Christian farming communities persisted in the Northcentral region.
A deadly Christmas Day attack in December 2023, attributed to a group of herders, resulted in the deaths of about 140 people across various communities in Plateau State, leading to a series of attacks and counter-attacks in the state.
According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), over 1.3 million people were internally displaced in the Northcentral and Northwest regions by April 2024, up from nearly 1.1 million in December 2023.
While the killings are largely dominant in the north; however, no part of the country have been spared by the rampaging killers.
For these reasons, Nigerians have been living in fear of kidnapping and insurgency attacks, which has left many families on death throes.
This is so because many families have been shutout of air travel due to the high cost of flight tickets and other logistics.
For an average family in Nigeria, road travel is the go-to option – but this go-to option is also taking a gradual flight off the menu lists as the fear of bandits and kidnappers is forcing many to rethink their travel plans.
Deborah (not original name), a journalist is expected to travel to the east for bury of ber uncle by second week of December.
However, Deborah who is a journalist appear on decided about the trip even after admitting the bury is a must for her.
“My cousins fixed their father’s burial for December 18. Who fixes burial for such a date? As it is, my Christmas travel has been impacted by the burial date,” she said during a conversation with BusinesssDay SUNDAY.
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Outside December being a peak period because of her job, she also admitted that the logistics of traveling to the Southeast two weeks before Christmas gives her great concern.
This is because she will not be able to return to Lagos after the burial on December 18, and must have bear the cost of staying back for the New Year.
“Yes, there are security challenges everywhere in the country. But, that is least on my concern at the moment because I will have to be away in the Southeast at a time I should be working here in Lagos,” Deborah said.
Taiwo Akinola, the Apostolic Presbyter of Christ Global Network (CGN), said
Nigeria cannot afford a security architecture that reacts only on paper while citizens bleed on the streets.
According to him, government must be decisive in her actions of tackling the menace of insecurity across the country.
“Where there is a lack of tangible and decisive action, terrorists and aggressors become emboldened, and this deepens the despair of citizens who naturally feel abandoned by the very institutions mandated to protect them.”
Akinola admitently acknowledged the complexity of the security challenges facing the country and the pressures on the security architecture.
He however appealed to the Federal Government and all relevant security agencies to further strengthen their efforts to safeguard lives and property.
“While we recognize that, in some instances, victims come from diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds—and we sincerely mourn them as well—there are strong indications that Christian communities have been disproportionately affected by targeted acts of violence.”
The cleric commended the government for the recent efforts that resulted in the speedy rescue of some church members abducted in Kwara State, as well as the successful recovery of the kidnapped school children.
“Equally reassuring is the news that one of the leaders of a notorious terrorist group was recently convicted on a four-count charge and sentenced to twenty years’ imprisonment.
“We can only hope that such efforts will be intensified to guarantee the security of lives and property across the country,” he stated.
Gilbert Essien, Venerable-in-charge, Apapa Archdeaconry, Christ Army Church of Nigeria, said the government should rise up to its responsibilities.
According to him, the fear of the ‘unknown’ is making many Nigerians to rethink their travel plans, especially now that we fast approach the yuletide.
“So, the government should do something so that the citizens can be able to travel around the country,” he said highlighting that some part of the country are currently ‘no travel zone.’
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Mental health implications
Every December, Nigerians naturally get into the festive mode not minding the emotional distress, financial strain, and unhealthy coping habits that characterised the outgoing year.
For many, the last few weeks of the year got to be ‘Detty’ hence, some might even go out of their way to celebrate Christmas and New Year.
The festive period now tagged ‘Detty December’ is widely portrayed as a time for nonstop meriment, which comes with huge spending.
However, the pressure of ‘being among’ have exposed many to anxiety, especially young adults who sometimes crack under the pressure of economic hardship, unmet personal goals, and rising social pressure.
“The truth is that many people enter December already exhausted from the pressures of the year, but once Detty December begins, they feel compelled to put on a façade of enjoyment,” Jane Ibude, a mental health expert stated.
According to her, the pressure to keep up with social expectations, despite personal or financial limitations, has become a major trigger for anxiety.
She added that the fear of missing out, or being perceived as unproductive, pushes individuals into silent emotional distress.
“What we see on social media is a polished version of reality, and because many people compare themselves to those images, they begin to internalise feelings of inadequacy.”
However, Johnson Ibidapo, a clinical psychologist, told BusinessDaySUNDAY that the Christmas season brings such nostalgic memories that make people feel compelled to return home regardless of distance or cost.
“From a psychological perspective traveling during the festive season helps to meet the need for belongingness, through family connection, cultural relatedness and group identity.”
According to him, the increased road traffic during the festive season may no doubt, trigger increased criminal activities, as well as the consequent emotional response such as heightened fear and anxiety.
“On the contrary however, the prevalence of insecurity in our country triggers fear and in psychology, we talk about the hormonal response to fear or anger, which we call the fight/flight syndrome.”
Ibidapo, who is the coordinator of the Caleb University counseling and development clinic, added that there is also optimism bias that many people may have to contend with, which is a belief that nothing bad will happen to someone; can also result in some people taking avoidable risks.
“Overall, a tension ensues in striking a balance between meeting the need for reconnection with family and friends and the expected fear and anxiety due to increased insecurity on Nigerian roads.
“People may therefore be stuck in this fix; some others may seek spiritual covering, when traveling for them, becomes inevitable, while others simply become too afraid to travel and remain within base,” Ibidapo said.
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Transportation, ‘black tax’ concerns
Oyinyechi Godspower, who is from Imo State but based in Aba, told BusinessDay that things to consider nowadays far outweigh the security concerns across the country.
According to her, people traveling for Christmas also have to contend with things like hike in transport fare and black taxes from friends and family members.
“The expenses will be very high, that’s why most of the time I don’t travel – I just get some things and send to my parents through people traveling. The transporters see it as opportunity to extort people.
“When you travel, your village people (cousins, uncles & aunties) will feel since you are coming from the city, you are buoyant, you have enough – that’s why when people travel without planning; without saving for January, they will come back begging for food, ” Godspower said.
