The problem of security in Nigeria is something that has, and continues to fight against the country’s economic growth and development. However, unlike many people now believe, it is not a mirage and, so, can be defeated.
It comes in different forms and includes terrorism, banditry, kidnapping for ransom as well as herders-farmers clashes, among others. But the question is, why does the Federal Government of Nigeria find it difficult to curb the menace of terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, armed herders’ attacks on farmers and other forms of violent criminal activities that bedevil the progress of the country today?
The reasons are not far-fetched. They include the lack of political will by the head of the federal government to tackle the problem head-on, the poor economic situation brought on Nigerians as a result of harsh government policies and the failure of relevant government agents to be proactive in the fight against insecurity in the country.
Therefore we strongly and categorically call on the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to, as a matter of urgency, bring the following proposal to bear in his administration to save Nigerians from the menace of violent destruction of lives and property that have scared prospective foreign investors away from the country, caused untold hardships on families and contributed in crippling the economic life of Nigerians.
To begin with, Tinubu must not allow the politics of winning the 2027 Presidential Election take away his constitutional responsibility of protecting the lives and property of Nigerians. We are of the view that the President, as the Chief Security Officer in the country, may be aware of the sponsors of terrorism, killings and other violent crimes in the country assuming that he has been adequately briefed by heads of security agencies that are well aware of the matters. Let him ‘hit the hammer on the nail’ and liberate Nigerians from the shackles of insecurity by having the boldness to fish-out the sponsors, no matter how highly placed in the society.
Not only that, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is also, hereby, called upon to introduce people-friendly policies that would ease the burden placed on the economic lives of Nigerians by his administration. This would help to discourage Nigerians from joining terror groups and other violent criminal associations. This is a clarion call on the government to invest heavily in massive job opportunities across the country, a project that can be made possible by turning the so-called ‘ungoverned spaces’ breeding criminals across the country into agro-based investment hubs for year-in/year-out farming and food processing, both for local consumption and for export.
Again, the Tinubu regime needs to be proactive in the fight against insecurity in Nigeria. Based on intelligence from security agencies, the President needs to prevent attacks by these daredevil agents of insecurity before their plans are executed. The usual attitude of reacting to incidents of insecurity by the President after they have been committed is as good as not caring for the lives and property of Nigerians. Any relevant agency or unit that fails to act to prevent terror or bandits attack should be severely sanctioned for failing in its responsibility.
In taking the fight to the territory of the terrorists, President Tinubu should ensure that security men are mobilized and trained specifically on this kind of warfare, which is different from the training they received when being enlisted. Experts in guerrilla warfare abound in different countries of the world where similar security challenges had been experienced and overcome.
Moreover, the need for the use of sophisticated weapons by Nigeria’s security personnel to fight insecurity in the country presently cannot be over-emphasized. If the security agents have more sophisticated fire power, they would win the fight, and vice versa. So, Tinubu should look for a way to ensure that any act of corruption that involves the diversion of money meant for the purchase of the right arms and ammunition to fight insecurity in the country is not treated with kids’ gloves. It is an act of sabotage.
We are aware of the courage shown by some of our security personnel, units and agencies to fight this common monster called ‘insecurity’ in the country and wish to commend them for it. President Tinubu should also find a way of rewarding officers who have performed outstandingly in trying to win the war against what is now a plague in the country, even more than he rewarded members of our female football team who recently won a tournament. This will encourage our security men and women to put in their best in the fight.
