According to a report by Daily Post, on Saturday April 11, 2026, public affairs commentator Mahdi Shehu has raised concern over the rising wave of violence in Nigeria, believing that the situation is getting worse because authorities continue to engage with criminal groups instead of taking firm action against them.
Shehu stated that there has been a steady increase in killings across the country, according to him, the number of deaths has grown sharply since late 2025, with a more noticeable surge from early 2026 and explained that both civilians and security personnel are affected, and attacks are happening in different parts of the country.
Shehu described the killings as planned and ongoing and warned that there is no clear sign that the violence will reduce soon if current strategies remain unchanged, he pointed out that security agencies are facing serious challenges.
In his view, many of them are overstretched, lack enough personnel, and do not have the same level of weapons as criminal groups, he argued that some government policies may be encouraging crime instead of stopping it.
He stated that negotiating with armed groups or offering them amnesty sends the wrong message, according to him, such actions can make criminal activities appear rewarding rather than punishable.
Shehu criticised the practice of giving recognition or appointments to individuals with questionable records, he believes that honouring such people weakens trust in the system and promotes bad behaviour.
Beyond security issues, he linked the problem to wider political and institutional weaknesses, he mentioned election malpractice, the use of thugs, and failures within the justice system as factors contributing to insecurity and stressed that when justice is not fair and equal, it creates room for more violence.
“These senseless and orchestrated killings will only end when governments stop appeasing terrorists and begin to treat criminal elements as such,” he said........…