The only way to tackle insecurity

SIR: Nigeria is currently bleeding, according to the Minister of Defence, Major- Gen. Bashir Magashi ( rtd). One cannot agree any less. The state governors are wailing, with some relocating to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, in search of the safety they can no longer guarantee their helpless citizens. In fact, to Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Nigeria has “totally collapsed,” he lamented while decrying the wanton wasting of human lives in Zamfara, Niger, Yobe, Benue and Imo states. Down south in the Eastern states, the war drums are already beating faster, with deafening decibels.

For the Minster of Defence to confess that “Nigeria is bleeding” calls for urgent action. In fact, it is no longer news that Auwal Daudawa, the notorious kidnapper responsible for the abduction of over 300 school boys from Kankara in Katsina state a few months ago has abandoned Governor Matawalle’s Amnesty Programme. He has picked up arms again and returned to the forest! Senator Ali Ndume recently warned against treating the serious issue of the 400 Bureau De Change operators funding the Boko Haram as confidential, stressing that the evidence be placed before the public, and there should be no secret trial. The credible way out of this morass of insecurity bedeviling the country is for the President to rise above ethnic and religious sentiments and muster the political will to deal with killers, no matter who is involved. Also, the National Assembly should quickly enact and pass a bill to restructure this country in terms of the political, economic and security architecture.

As a concerned citizen, Ariyo Atoye rightly suggested with such features in place, each state should be divided into strategic combat sections and carry out sector by sector clearing by motivated youths. In addition is the need to use modern technology by deploying the drones with the assistance of aerial surveillance tech companies and the story would change for the better.

Apart from seeking foreign partnerships, requesting relocating AFRICOM headquarters from Stuttgart in Germany to Africa, our leaders should learn from the meeting of the United Nations General Assembly held in September 2017. With the theme of “Global cooperation- tackling the root causes to fight against terrorism,” they agreed that terrorism has become a global phenomenon that should be addressed comprehensively.

Eradicating terrorism requires addressing its root causes, which are not only poverty and ignorance but real or perceived political or other grievances — including foreign intervention — as well as oppression and injustice.

We have had enough of bloodshed of innocent citizens here!