Banditry: Dialogue is not the best option, General Abdulsalami tells govs, reveals what should be done
- Former military leader, General Abdulasalmi, has given advice on how to address the menace of armed banditry and other security challenges in Nigeria
- General Abdulasalmi, among other things, said dialogue is not the best option to address the crisis
- The elder statesman gave the advice when some Nigerian governors paid him a visit at his Minna home
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Nigeria's former military head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), has said dialogue is not the best option to end armed banditry in Nigeria, especially the northern part.
The former military leader stated this when a delegation of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) visited him at his residence in Minna, Niger state, Channels TV reported.
According to the retired general, the best way to solve Nigeria’s banditry and other security issues is to first make sure that the crimes are not committed.
Source: Getty Images
He said the nation's security agencies need to checkmate the miscreants before they strike.
Nevertheless, the former military leader admitted that negotiations may have to be considered especially in a situation where the people have already been kidnapped.
General Abdulsalami noted that this is important to save the lives of kidnap victims.
Making specific reference to the Kagara school abduction, he said it will be senseless for the security agencies to use force in a bid to secure the students and other victims even if they know their location, noting that some of the victims may be killed in the process.
His words:
“Dialogue is not the best way but when you are the one wearing the shoe, what will you do? Our children have been abducted for over five days, even if you know where they are, it will be foolhardy to storm there and fight them because there may be casualties.
“Sometimes there is a need to see the best way you can talk to these heartless people to see how you can get these people released. But dialogue is not the best way.
“The law enforcement agencies need to work together to map new strategies on how to deal with the problem."
He, therefore, advised the government to consider all possible options to secure the release of the victims, Daily Trust also reported.
The respected former leader who supervised Nigeria's transition from military to democracy in 1999 also urged the authorities to ensure that security is beefed up to forestall further occurrences.
General Abdulsalami's observations listed
1. Nigeria's security architecture is overstretched
2. The Nigeria Police Force is underpopulated
3. There is an urgent need to increase the manpower
4. The security agencies need support from the citizens
5. Nigerians have to reignite brotherly love as citizens of a united country
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IBB highlights solutions to insecurity in Nigeria
In a related development, Nigeria's former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, has said that Nigeria's security threats can only be tackled with long-term planning.
Babangida, in an interview on Tuesday, February 23, stated that the nation can overcome its security issues if those in the position of authority plan appropriately.
Legit.ng gathered that he said quashing the threats posed by kidnappers, bandits, and the insurgents require a lot of planning.
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Nurudeen Lawal is a Legit.ng journalist passionate about fact-checking/verification journalism. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Literature-in-English from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State. As Politics Editor, Nurudeen mostly writes on Nigeria’s political and socio-economic developments. He has attended different workshops, conferences and training on fact-checking and digital reporting, among others. Learn more about him on Twitter, @Nurudeen Lawal_
Source: Legit.ng
