The Nigerian government has over the years allocated billions of naira to resolve the security challenges albeit with little results to show for it.
Former Kaduna State Senator, Shehu Sani, says Nigeria’s fight against terrorism has created billionaire generals and policemen.
He also urged the Nigerian government to pay for information to enable security agents to stay ahead, saying bandits have paid informants.
His statement comes as the country grapples with multiple security challenges ranging from banditry to terrorism, herders-farmers clashes among others.
The Nigerian government has over the years allocated billions of naira to resolve the security challenges albeit with little results to show for it.
Sani, in an interview with Punch, said, “We need to involve the locals. We should reward information. Informants of terrorists are being paid by terrorists; we should pay our informants too, to give us information. Bandits and terrorists have decided to abandon their criminality and we should join to fight those who refused to repent.”
He said while the country had nothing to show for its security budget, some military generals and policemen have become billionaires.
He said, “The security situation we face depends on the region you come from. In the North-Central part of Nigeria, most of the violence going on there is between herdsmen and farmers but in the North-West, it’s terrorists killing people, extorting ransom, unleashing mayhem, burning down communities, imposing fines, levies, and taxes on people.
“In the North-East, it’s ISWAP and Boko Haram that are killing people and unleashing bloodshed and trying to establish their version of an Islamic state. We actually carry out the audit account of the money we spend on security. In the last six years, between N2 and N3trn has been spent on security.
“It’s unfortunate that there is nothing to show for it. Our military and policemen are still crying that they don’t have the equipment, they don’t have weapons, they don’t need machinery to take on terrorists. We ended up creating billionaire retired generals and billionaire policemen without security for our people.”
The Senator, however, called for the adoption of technology to bring a lasting and efficient solution to the challenges, adding that security agencies should do away with archaic practices such as mounting roadblocks.
He urged the government to deploy drones and other technological assistance to areas experiencing high kidnapping incidences.
“So, auditing our security and defence apparatus is very important. The money for security should go for security. We can only tackle this problem if we use technology. From Kaduna to Abuja here, there are about 30 or 35 villages but there is no single drone stationed to move around to locate where kidnappers are to launch attacks.
“We are still using the archaic system of mounting roadblocks, flashing torchlights on the faces of drivers and telling them to put on inner lights and open their boots to see what they carry. We are using a 20th-century strategy to fight 21st-century crimes. So, the third is the use of human intelligence,” he said.