A former senator representing Kaduna Central has called on the Federal Government to step up the fight against terrorists in different parts of the country rather than focusing on a security summit.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Sani said Nigeria has had enough talks about the spate of insecurity in the country and, therefore, needed an improvement in its approach to the war against the terrorists.
According to him, it is a known fact that the Nigerian state is faced with a war against banditry and terrorism, a war, which he said had been going on for over a decade.
The former Kaduna lawmaker said victory over terrorists and bandits was as important as the unity, peace, and survival of the Nigerian state.
Amid the rising level of insecurity in the country, especially in the northern part of the country where scores of lives have been lost, homes destroyed, and many displaced, the Senate had on Tuesday resolved to establish an ad hoc committee tasked with organising a two‑day national security summit in Abuja.
The summit is expected to include federal, state, and local governments, as well as traditional institutions, and stakeholders in the sector to develop viable solutions to the country’s persistent insecurity challenges.
Proponents had argued that fresh engagements that would bring together a wider cross‑section of stakeholders could yield new ideas, forge a unified national security framework, and equip the military with updated strategies.
Although opposing lawmakers cautioned that past summits had failed to translate recommendations into action, warning against repeating fruitless exercises, the motion scaled through, with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, directing that the ad hoc committee begin preparations immediately.
However, Sani said, “For us, we have talked too much about insecurity. What is needed for us is to step up our action, because our action as a government and as a nation has not been able to exterminate the activities of bandits and terrorists in our country.
“We have had so many talks, summits and conferences about security and what is needed now is more action and we have seen, in the last one and a half decade, how terrorist in the northern part of Nigeria, up till this very time, are unleashing mayhem and havoc on innocent people, burning down villages, kidnapping people and extorting for ransom.
“Each time you thought that they had been exterminated, in a few days, you would see them coming out more boldly and daring. So, we have had enough talks.”
The former lawmaker further said that the war was not just between Nigeria and the terrorists but also a battle being fought by other nations in the sub-region, including the Republic Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.
“Those countries that are today under military control, part of the reasons for the takeover are the failure of the successive governments in those countries to combat the pervasive insecurity that is annihilating the people of those countries,” he added.
Speaking further on the proposed summit, Sani said Nigeria needed to do something differently or improve on what we are doing by adopting the use of technology against the terrorists, who he said were advancing their operations by using sophisticated technological devices like drones.
“I think these are things we need to improve upon and then continue to fight. It is also a fact of history and reality of today that you cannot win a war against terrorism within 24 hours. This is a battle that nations of the world, more advanced nations, and more developed militaries in the world have been fighting.
“One thing that should be in minds is that we should have faith in our military; we should continue to support and encourage them and then it is also a fact that the terrorists cannot overrun the Nigerian state, but it is the battle of our time, it is the cause of our nation that we must unite and achieve victory at the end of the day,” he said.
Sani also warned that Nigeria could continue to suffer if the terrorists are not destroyed.
“So we have to continue to do what we are doing and improve upon what we are doing. But sitting down in an air-conditioned hall and coming out with a lot of speeches from left, right and centre that add nothing is not going to be of help as far as I am concerned,” he said.
Credit: Channels TV
