Northern Insecurity: Memo To President Tinubu

By Ibrahim Mustapha Pambegua

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should help the state governors through military and other logistics support. For a better policing, the president should invest heavily in intelligence gathering, scale up recruitment of security personnel, re-jig our security architect and above all work with neighbouring countries to eliminate insecurity in Nigeria.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has hit the ground running since the time he was inaugurated. Tinubu has proven he is fully prepared to take tough decision for the interest of the country. The supersonic speed with which he removed petroleum subsidy, the appointments he made all pointed his readiness to take the country to the pedestal of growth and development. But no nation can develop with ravaging insecurity dogged its territory.

While the country has recorded remarkable progress since the restoration of democracy in 1999, the deteriorating insecurity resulted in wanton killings of defenceless nigerians by non-state actors and other criminals eroded the gains achieved so far. There is lost of confidence by nigerians over the inability of successive governments to tame the monster of insecurity bedevilled the country particularly in northern nigerian. While the immediate past administration was able to contain the dreaded boko haram insurgents, leaving remnants to attack soft targets, the emergency of banditry activities in Zamfara, Katsina, Niger and Kaduna state and farmers/ herders clashes has compounded and escalated tension in the region.

Northern Nigeria, the food basket of not only Nigeria but also African countries has become a shadow of its former self. while North East is struggling with Boko Haram, North-central is battling with farmers/herders crises. The once peaceful North-west has since turned to a home of banditry. The intractable security challenges in the north have continued to pose threat to food security and education development.

Many rural farmers have deserted their ancestral homes as bandits impose levies, abduct and kill dafaulters at their will. Schools are frequently being attacked and students forceful kidnapped. The horrible situation has discouraged parents from sending their children or wards to schools. The lamentable figures of school dropout which is estimated to have hit over 15millions children, couple with activities of rapacious bandits paints gloomy picture of education in the region.

The region has become a killing field. Hardly a day passes without report of gory massacre of people in their villages, farms, markets or even in the roads. Though, concerted efforts have been put in place by government to arrest the situation, no doubt insecurity has defied lasting solution. However, with the new governors in the troubled states, one foresees an end to the lingering insecurity in the region. Already, the Zamfara state governor, Dauda Lawal Dare, held a close door meeting with chief of Defence Staff, lucky Irabor, in a bid to tackle the menace of banditry in his state. Also, Kaduna state governor, malam Uba Sani, in an interview granted to Channels Television, bared his mind on the need to create state police. He emphasised that only state police can address security challenges. In Benue state, governor Alias Mba has promised to review the anti-grazing laws implemented by his predecessor, Samuel Orthom. Katsina state governor, Dikko Radda, during his inauguration promised to exploit every avenue to confront insecurity in the state.

Interestingly, the governors have a good ideas and passion for the protection of their people from the activities of criminals terrorising their states. The affected governors should liase with federal government to achieve this feat.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should help the state governors through military and other logistics support. For a better policing, the president should invest heavily in intelligence gathering, scale up recruitment of security personnel, re-jig our security architect and above all work with neighbouring countries to eliminate insecurity in Nigeria.