Kenny Martins: Nigerians Spend Over N1trillion Annually on Security
- A security expert has revealed that Nigerians spend over N1trillion annually on security
- Kenny Martins, a former chairman of the Police Equipment Foundation, made the statement during an event in Lagos
- Martins urged the government at all levels to meet up to the expectations of protecting lives and properties in the country
PAY ATTENTION: Join Legit.ng Telegram channel! Never miss important updates!
Former chairman, Police Equipment Fund, Chief Kenny Martins on Thursday, March 25 disclosed that following rising insecurity in the country, Nigerians individually and collectively spend over N1trillion annually to provide security for themselves and their property.
Martins made this known while speaking as a guest speaker at an event with the theme: “Security Challenge and Implication on National Development,” held in Lagos.
He urged the government to play its role in ensuring the security of lives and properties in the country.
Source: Getty Images
PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read the best news on Nigeria’s #1 news app
Nigerian Tribune quoted Martins as saying:
“Every day, we are lectured that security is a collective responsibility. We are doing our bit; using tall fences and barbed wires to demarcate our houses, paying trillions of naira every year to hire security guards, as well as purchasing and installing very expensive security devices to protect our businesses, residential premises, and estates.
“We also pay our taxes to maintain our three tiers of government, their elaborate security services, and the Armed Forces. We, therefore, expect our governments at all levels to play their part as well, in ensuring the security of lives and properties in our country.”
Martins lamented that much of the security issues in the country were politically motivated, saying that accounted for the inability of the political leadership to control it when the issues get out of hand.
His words:
“One thing that is common with politically motivated insecurity is that the initial elements of the source of insecurity are mostly started by non-state actors, but somewhere along the line, some state actors would see a potential political advantage for themselves in empowering the organization or one of the belligerents with state resources.
“The next thing is that the state actor will then channel that newfound notoriety and power of intimidation of their pet organization against their political opponents, especially during the elections in order to win an undeserved victory at the polls.”
Meanwhile, Northern elders under the aegis of Coalition of Northern Elders for Peace and Development (CONEPD), have blamed the festering insecurity mostly in the North East and North West geopolitical zones on some leaders and elders of the region.
According to the group, the leaders saw the danger at the beginning of the crisis but refused to tell the truth.
In a related development, the House of Representatives may soon pass a Bill for Act, to permit Nigerians from the age of eighteen, to carry arms for self-defence.
A bill to that effect, entitled: “Firearms Amendment Bill,” has already been sponsored by Honourable Adejoro Adeogun.
Source: Legit.ng
