To arrest the deteriorating security situation in the country, President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, held a high-level meeting with security chiefs in the country to review the situation and gave a charge to them, saying, “enough is enough” Insecurity, a major issue in the country and a key factor in the APC’s rise to power
To arrest the deteriorating security situation in the country, President Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, held a high-level meeting with security chiefs in the country to review the situation and gave a charge to them, saying, “enough is enough”
Insecurity, a major issue in the country and a key factor in the APC’s rise to power in 2015, has worsened. Some state governors have openly admitted that they are losing territories to criminals. Indeed, some local governments under the states are now firmly under the control of bandits and terrorists.
The state of insecurity in those states is threatening democracy as the people are denied their rights to life and freedom of movement in those communities. The situation has led some state governors to announce desperate measures to secure their people, but indirectly infringing on the rights of citizens.
Niger State
In Niger State, Governor Bago announced a series of measures, some of which violate the rights of the citizens. One of such orders directs security agencies to arrest individuals wearing dreadlocks in Minna, the state capital.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ security meeting held at the Government House on Tuesday, the governor said the hair of such individuals should be cut and fines imposed on them.
“We will have zero tolerance for rascality. Anybody found with dreadlocks will be arrested, have their hair barbed, and be fined. Nobody should carry any kind of haircut inside Minna. I have given marching orders to security agencies.
“Also, any house found harbouring criminals should be demolished. Niger State is not for useless people,”
The governor further announced restrictions on the movement of commercial motorcycles and tricycles between 6pm and 6am in Minna, noting that only those being used for medical emergencies would be exempted.
Kwara State
In Kwara state, a new terrorist group has just been unveiled in Kaiama and Baruten local government areas. The group, identified as Mahmuda, has been attacking communities around the Kainji Lake National Park (KLNP). Farmers have been prevented from going to their farmlands, with fears gripping the people.
Borno State
The governor of Borno state, Babagana Zulum, a fortnight ago, warned that jihadist group Boko Haram is making a comeback after its fighters staged a series of attacks and seized control of some parts of the north-eastern state. He called for more military assistance for soldiers fighting the insurgency.
Borno State has been at the centre of a 15-year insurgency by Boko Haram, which has forced more than two million people to flee their homes and killed more than 40,000. But the federal government has downplayed the governor’s fears, saying security in the country has improved in the past 18 months.
Governor Zulum said it was disheartening that the group now attacked and kidnapped people in many communities daily. He said that Borno State was “losing ground” against the jihadists.
The concentration of soldiers in north-western Nigeria to deal with banditry and kidnappings may have led to a reduction in the number of troops on the frontline with Boko Haram in Borno and other parts of the north-east.
The fight against the militants became even more challenging after neighbouring Niger withdrew its troops from a regional force set up to tackle the jihadist group.
Zamfara State
On Wednesday, the Zamfara State House of Assembly issued a one-month ultimatum to Gov. Dauda Lawal to address the menace of insecurity in the state.
The Speaker of the House, Hon. Bashar Aliyu Gummi, representing Gummi 1 State constituency, disclosed this to journalists, after a deliberation that lasted for two hours.
He announced that the members have issued a one-month ultimatum to Governor Dauda Lawal, within which all issues relating to armed banditry, kidnapping, and other heinous crimes must be resolved.
Meanwhile, the Zamfara Civil Society Organisation on Tuesday accused Zamfara State governor, Dauda Lawal, of obstructing the Federal Government’s efforts in addressing the escalating insecurity in the northwestern state, alleging that he was politicising the crisis for electoral gain.
The accusations came amid reports that bandits and terrorists have imposed a ₦60 million levy on villages in Zamfara State, exacerbating the plight of impoverished communities.
The CSOs questioned how residents, already struggling, could meet such demands and called for a state of emergency in Zamfara State due to “the lack of political governance and deepening insecurity”.
The Governor of Zamfara, Dauda Lawal, and his predecessor, Bello Matawalle, have traded words over the security challenges and other socio-economic ills bedevilling the state. The Governor gives political meaning to the insecurity in the state.
Benue State
The problems of herders and farmers in Benue State have taken on a bigger dimension. The state governor, Revd Father Alia, called for help on the killings happening in the state because they need more support to chase out the armed herders attacking communities.
He said, “What we need is emergency help for now. We need absolute support. The Federal Government has supported. They sent two armoured tanks that came in. Our situation had changed. “ We had a better narrative, but what we need to do is get our people back home and drive out the invaders— the armed invaders who have brought in people who do not even speak the Nigerian languages we speak.
“Let them move back to wherever they came from and allow us farmers to go back to our ancestral land. Calling for any emergency does not occur here.”
He noted that the number of local governments under attack has dropped from 17 to six since he took office. “We couldn’t have trimmed it from 17 local governments in the front lines of the attacks to nine and then now to six, which means we can do this, but we need help. And that is a fact.”
Plateau state
Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State says that the ongoing attacks and killings in some parts of the state are a coordinated crime sponsored by conflict merchants and not farmer-herder clashes.
Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang has admitted that the government has consistently failed to protect the people of the state from being attacked by terrorists.
Mutfwang begged forgiveness from the Zikke and Kimakpa communities in Bassa Local Government Area, where over 50 persons were murdered on Sunday night in the latest orgy of mindless killings on the Plateau.
The governor stated this when he visited Zikke and Kimakpa communities to commiserate with the victims of the attack that claimed over 50 lives and to assure them of government support.
President Tinubu’s “Enough is Enough” Message
President Bola Tinubu directed an immediate and comprehensive overhaul of national security strategies, demanding urgent action to end the escalating violence in Borno, Benue, Plateau and Kwara states.
The President, who met with security chiefs at the State House in Abuja for more than two hours, said the killing of innocent people in Borno, Benue, and Plateau States must cease.
“Enough is enough,” President Tinubu declared as he once again condemned the senseless targeting of innocent Nigerians.
A statement by Mr Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, quoted the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, saying that the service chiefs briefed the president on all the attacks in the states, the death toll, and the destruction of properties.
The NSA said President Tinubu ordered a new approach to tackling the insecurity problems.
Ribadu noted that President Tinubu was also actively monitoring and giving instructions during his work visit to Paris and London.
“Mr. President gave us the chance to come and brief him again. It lasted very long. We gave him an update on what was going on. Even when he was out there, he was constantly in touch, giving directives and following developments.
“Today, we had the opportunity to come and brief him again, and it lasted hours. It was a very detailed briefing, and it was exhaustive. We paid attention and followed his directions. He gave us new directives. The fact is that Mr President is insisting that we work harder to restore security in the country.
“We provided him information on what has been happening and assured him of our commitment. We had carried out his instructions. We went to places with incidences of insecurity, such as Plateau, Benue, and Borno States.
“We went to those three particular states. We gave him feedback because he had directed us earlier to go and meet with the political authorities there. The NSA said the President highlighted the need to involve the local councils and state governments more in tackling insecurity cases.
“The issue of insecurity often is not just at the higher levels. It involves the subunits. They are the ones who are directly with the people, especially when some of the challenges border on community problems.
“We need to work with the communities. We need to work with the local governments, and we need to work with the governors.
“The President directed that we work more with governors”, Ribadu noted that the President was “very worried and concerned” at the meeting.
“He said, ‘Enough is enough’. We are working to ensure that we restore peace and security. We were all at the meeting with the President, armed forces, police, and intelligence community.”
The NSA said the attackers usually target innocent citizens by planting Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDS) and targeting ungoverned areas.
Governors Meet Chief of Defence Staff
The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), on Wednesday night, held a closed-door meeting with the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, to discuss the ongoing insecurity challenges in the country.
The meeting presided over by the NGF Chairman and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, was focused on recent incidents of kidnapping, attacks, and killings.
The discussion centres on the security challenges in states such as Plateau, Benue, and others, to find solutions to address the escalating violence.
Governors from states including Borno, Ekiti, Adamawa, Kaduna, Bayelsa, Gombe, Ogun, Imo, Oyo, Ondo, Benue, Nasarawa, and Plateau were in attendance, alongside the deputy governors of Niger, Enugu, and Bauchi States.
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, also participated in the discussions.
