No Political Will To End Banditry, Says Zamfara Governor

Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, says there is no political will to end banditry and kidnapping in the country.

He stated this while speaking at the Channels TV Security Summit last night.

He said, “If we are really committed and have the political will, we can handle all these issues of banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling, and other forms of insecurity within two weeks.”

The deputy inspector-general of Police (DIG) Dasuki Galadanchi admitted that despite insecurity everywhere in the country, the reality is not as it is painted.

He disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the recruitment of 30,000 policemen (in phases) to meet the force’s manpower needs.

“We are trying our best to reduce it to the barest minimum. We have asked citizens to report security breaches rather than going to social media.”

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A panelist and consultant, Charles Omole, said security agencies in the country compete rather than cooperate

He called on the President to make not sharing intelligence a punishable act.

He, however, disagreed that giving the Police more manpower was not the solution if they were not utilized. “If we don’t think differently, we’ll continue this circle of insecurity.”

Also, the executive director of YIAGA Africa, Samson Itodo, tasked security agencies with winning citizens’ trust in the fight against crime and criminality.

He said “Citizens will not share intelligence with security agencies if they don’t trust them. It would be best if you won the trust of the people. The mentality of security agencies needs to change. Nigerians feel insecure. Security agencies need to inspire confidence, and it’s not just about gaslighting. Admit that there are challenges and we’ll help you. Don’t look at Nigerians in the face and say the challenges of insecurity are not real because they are the ones feeling it. The second is that sometimes those with family members in captivity report to security agencies, and the response is demoralising”

On the issues of extra-judicial killings and attacks on security personnel, he said, “We must condemn acts by either Nigerians or non-Nigerians killing our security agencies. These are humans and family members. We have to condemn and take action in the same way we need to make sure extra judicial killings are stopped. We must end structural injustices”.

Itodo admitted that there is a need for more booths on the ground and limit airstrikes, which have recorded collateral damages “where communities are affected, lives are lost, how do we remedy that? When you do that, you build trust in the people”.

He stated further that security votes have come as “conduit pipes and not used to address the issues.”

General Christopher Musa, Chief of Defence Staff called on Nigerians to take ownership of security architecture.

He added that the nation was dealing with guerrilla warfare, which is new and strange.

“We need to take ownership of what is happening in the country. We are dealing with asymmetric warfare, a new kind of war.”

He disclosed that over 120,000 terrorists have surrendered to troops in the North-East so far.