**Nigeria has failed to tell terrorists in succinct terms, that their actions would be punished.

By Chinedu Felix Opara Nothing Shocks Again **government has the responsibility and obligation to not only protect us, also to make us feel safe. **we have moved on with obviously what we think is more important matters like who becomes whatever in 2015. **We forget the killings quickly in order to sustain the pretence that the union is in sane state. **Nigeria has failed to tell terrorists in succinct terms, that their actions would be punished. THE body counts from the war against terrorism are getting abnormal. Whether the losses are on the part of the security agencies or mere standbys, like school children, it is becoming clearer that government needs to do more. Terrorists may do all they can to make the country unsafe, but government has the responsibility and obligation to not only protect us, also to make us feel safe. What we find more absurd is that the seasonal killing of school children which terrorists in Yobe State have made their specialty, no longer shocks. The condemnations have thinned. We have moved on with what we think is obviously more important matters like who becomes whatever in 2015. We forget the killings quickly in order to sustain the pretence that the union is in sane state. Nigeria has lost thousands of lives to terrorists. Neither the numbers, no those killed, appears to be important. Lives, no longer seem to count, they have become numbers, ordinary statistics, kept for the records. Which society watches its members decimated in this manner without being shocked into action? How can a society be so unfeeling when it cannot protect its young, its future? Nigeria has failed to tell terrorists in succinct terms, that their actions would be punished. There are no examples to deter them. The choice of soft targets like schools, markets, entertainment centres and churches has become a trademark of these attacks. The terrorists want attention, and bigger headlines. Our security agencies need to do more. Failure of intelligence and armed actions against terrorists is not as bad as the unwillingness of many top Nigerians who can exert pressure to do so. We cannot bring terrorists to account when we place personal and political considerations above millions of lives terrorists place at risk. The lives at risk could be anyone’s as the indiscriminate attacks have proved. The war against terrorists cannot be won when we are pulling in different directions. Any group that can murder children so mindlessly is a risk to everyone, even its avowed supporters.