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.
