How safe are Nigerians in their homes, and who protects the citizens when danger lurks? How long will the nation continue to lose its brightest citizens to crimes arising from joblessness and declining living standards?
These questions are at the fore again, following the tragic death of Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu, a rising journalist with Arise Television, and her security guard, Barnabas Danlami, who was murdered in cold blood at her Abuja residence by suspected armed robbers.
The horrifying incident has rekindled the national debate on state policing, insecurity, and the alarming rate of unemployment and youth restiveness tearing through the country.
The FCT Police Command’s parade of the suspects in the case was unsettling. The suspects, mostly in their early twenties, displayed faces that reflected frustration and wasted potential.
According to findings by the police, the suspects confessed to invading the journalist’s home with the intention of robbing. But things went tragically wrong. Some admitted they had no work and no means of survival, while others claimed they were lured into crime by peers.
The discovery that most of the killers were under 30 has again thrown light on Nigeria’s growing unemployment crisis and how the lack of opportunity continues to push young Nigerians into crime and violent lifestyles.
Across the country, unemployment has become more than an economic issue. It has become a security threat.
With factories shutting down, businesses folding up, and the cost of living rising daily, thousands of young people now wander the streets without direction.
The state of the Nigerian economy is disturbing, according to data from the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN). In 2023 alone, about 670 companies closed shops, while about 180,000 people were thrown out of jobs in 2024.
In Lagos, the commercial hub of the country, about 400 small businesses were shut out of business due to the poor state of the economy which has caused a stagnant living standard.
While the citizens’ purchasing power has dropped, inflation, however, has revved up, making a nonsense of the little a family has to feed on.
The Goodluck Jonathan administration started the killing of the economy, and Muhammadu Buhari sounded the death knell. The current Tinubu administration is promising hope, but despair is still the lot of many Nigerians.
From 22.22% in April 2023, inflation rose to 28.9 per cent in December 2023, and further to 34.19 per cent in June 2024. Unabatedly, it rose to 34.80% in December 2024, and with the rebasing, it has come down to 20.12% in August 2025.
Although Inflation has eased, poverty and hardship remain high, forcing people to struggle to live.
With the poor economic indices up, many youths and the unemployed have taken to crime. The educated male youths found solace in cybercrime, armed gangs, and tools in the hands of political actors during elections. For the females amongst them, prostitution has become the norm for living.
The tragic killing of Ms Maduagwu shows how deep the rot has become, where young, energetic Nigerians, rather than contributing to development, are now being paraded as criminals.
A police source told Premier News during the parade that, “When you see these boys, you can tell they are not hardened. They are just hopeless and angry. But the danger is that such frustration now drives violence in our society.”
From Abuja to Zamfara, from Lagos to Borno, insecurity has continued to spread like wildfire. Kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery, and communal clashes have become everyday occurrences. Families are torn apart, farmers abandon their lands, and traders close their shops earlier than before.
In Katsina, Shihun Sani, a local businessman, narrated his ordeal after insecurity forced him to close down his business in Zamfara and relocate to Kano. “I was running a grain store in Zamfara before attacks became too much. Every week, there was news of killings or abductions. I had to leave everything behind. Even in Kano, things are not completely safe, but at least we can breathe small,” he said.
The ripple effect of insecurity is devastating. Local production is falling, investors are withdrawing, and many Nigerians are slipping deeper into poverty.
Constitutional Duty and the State Police Debate
Under the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Federal Government retains exclusive control of policing. Yet, Section 14 (2)(b) clearly states that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.”
But for many Nigerians, that constitutional promise feels broken. The federal police structure, stretched thin and underfunded, has failed to secure all corners of the country.
This has led to renewed calls for the establishment of state police, a move that would allow each state to recruit, train, and manage its own police force, better suited to handle local security realities.
During last Wednesday’s Senate plenary, one lawmaker said his constituents were no longer demanding roads or schools all they now want is security.
That statement captures the mood of a nation tired of mourning, tired of insecurity, and desperate for solutions.
The Painful Irony
Before her untimely death, Ms Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu had used her platform on Arise News to speak against corruption, insecurity, and the need for accountability. In one of her previous programmes, she had questioned the government’s sincerity in tackling insecurity. “We cannot talk about growth when people are afraid to sleep at night,” she said. “If the government cannot secure its citizens, then what is the essence of governance?”
Her words now sound like a haunting echo, a prophecy fulfilled too soon.
The death of Ms Maduagwu and her guard, Mr Barnabas Danlami, has once again exposed Nigeria’s deep cracks, a country struggling to balance poverty, corruption, and insecurity.
It shows how joblessness and youth frustration have created a breeding ground for violence, and how the absence of local policing has left communities vulnerable to crime.
Many Nigerians believe that establishing state police would be a bold step toward reforming a system where communities can identify threats before they grow, and local officers can act swiftly without waiting for federal approval.
For now, the nation continues to mourn, even as questions linger: How many more lives must be lost before the government acts? How long will young Nigerians be left without jobs or hope? And how many more Somtochukwus must die before the promise of security becomes a reality?
The Road Ahead
Until job creation matches population growth, until every young Nigerian can dream beyond survival, and until security becomes a genuine priority, the cycle of crime and tragedy may never end. The story of Ms Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu and her guard is not just about two lives lost; it is about a country losing its soul to insecurity, unemployment, and neglect.
And unless something changes soon, Nigeria risks producing not just more criminals, but more victims.
Peterside Rejoice is an Abuja-based journalist with Premier News
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