Security
Group urges FG to increase efforts at tackling insecurity
An advocacy group, the Civil Society Coalition on Sustainable Development (CSCSD) on Wednesday expressed concern over the present state of insecurity in the country.
Prof. Olubunmi Ashimolowo, the Chairman, Think-Do Tank Group, CSCSD, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos that the the Federal Government needed to increase efforts at tackling escalating insecurity .
“We are aware that the federal government is doing a lot to tackle insecurity.
“However, we are concerned about its upsurge in various regions of Nigeria.
“Recent incidents underscore the urgent need for coordinated efforts to address these threats to the nation’s stability and the citizens’ well-being.
“Bandit attacks and military vulnerability are challenges to be tackled by the government.
“Reports of compromised military bases, looting of homes and destroying of vehicles raise questions about our security apparatus’s effectiveness.
“We urge the government to fortify military installations and enhance counter-terrorism efforts,” she said.
Ashimolowo said that the menace of kidnapping reports in forests around Ifon in Ondo State and Akoko-Edo Local Government revealed kidnappings by militants clad in full military uniforms.
According to her, this tactic endangers lives, and also undermines public trust in security forces, adding that the menace requires immediate and decisive action.
“This development demands careful scrutiny and assessment of its potential impact on the overall security landscape.
“The CSCSD calls on the government to allocate additional resources for the training, equipping, and welfare of security forces.
” Immediate action is necessary to enhance their capacity to respond effectively to emerging threats.
“We want government to advance intelligence-gathering technologies and foster collaboration between intelligence agencies to preempt criminal activities,” she added.
The coalition leader noted that there was need for community-based surveillance programmes to encourage citizens’ active involvement.
Ashimolowo said that government should implement comprehensive poverty alleviation and job creation programmes to address underlying economic factors contributing to insecurity. (NAN)(www.
The explosion followed an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted by Boko Haram terrorists on the dilapidated and deserted road which passes through the Sambisa forest.
According to several sources, the explosion happened while cars on a scheduled military-escorted convoy were transporting passengers from Damboa to Maiduguri on Saturday leaving several others with varying degrees of injuries.
The Maiduguri-Damboa Road links Maiduguri to several local government areas in Southern Borno and has been a hotspot for Boko Haram terrorists for over a decade.
The road was closed to vehicles and commuters until the administration of Babagana Zulum opened the road for passengers to travel to Damboa, Chibok and other LGAs in southern Borno with the help of a military convoy serving as security cover for the commuters.
The convoy traverses the road two times a week after scanning for IED by the military and this has been going on for over two years now.
The injured persons whose numbers are yet to be specified have been conveyed to a hospital in Maiduguri for prompt medical attention.
A student of the Federal University Birnin Kebbi (FUBK) has been abducted by unidentified gunmen following an off-campus hostel attack.
Channels reports that the incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday at Istijaba Villa in Unguwar Jeji area of the state.
Witness accounts said five armed men entered the hostel to demand money from students who were taking a walk outside.
But the students refused to give in to their demands, which led to an assault from the attackers.
A resident, who was said to have attempted intervention, was shot dead while a final-year student of economics, simply identified as Madubiya, was whisked away by the assailants.
Responding to the incident, Muhammad Zaiyan-Umar, the vice-chancellor of FUBK, visited the scene in the company of the officers from the Kalgo police division and Department of State Services (DSS).
Addressing the students, Zaiyan-Umar said the university is committed to ensuring their safety and security.
It is understood that the VC has communicated the incident to Nasir Idris, the governor of Kebbi state, through the secretary to the state government and the director of security services at the cabinet office.
As of this reporting, the Kebbi state police command has yet to respond to enquiries about the incident.
In 2021, rumours soared of a planned attack by bandits after a heavy security presence was observed on campus.
At the time, the management of FUBK dismissed the claims.
The National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu has expressed the Federal Government’s determination in finding a lasting solution to the incessant attacks and killings in Plateau State.
Speaking at Operation Safe Haven headquarters in Jos during an operational visit in the aftermath of attacks in some communities of the Bokkos Local Government Area LGA) of the state, Ribadu promised to end the killings.
Over fifty persons were killed within a week in attacks over five communities that left over three hundred houses burnt by suspected herdsmen.
The Plateau State Government, through the Secretary to the Government Samuel Jatau, also visited some of the affected communities to ascertain the extent of damages and also donate relief materials to affected victims.
Adu expressed the Federal Government’s determination in finding solutions to the incessant attacks and killings.
Also, speaking about the killings, the District Head of Manguna wants the government to provide more security personnel in the affected communities to curb rural-urban migration.