Former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, has hailed President Bola Tinubu’s renewed commitment to tackling Nigeria’s security challenges.
Ndume said in Abuja on Wednesday that the measures so far taken by the president in response to the myriad of security threats to Nigeria’s sovereignty within the last couple of weeks have already begun yielding positive results.
Nigeria has, within the last couple of months, witnessed a spike in mass abductions including that of students of Government Girls Secondary School, Maga, in Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, Papiri Catholic School, Niger state, and an attack and kidnapping of worshippers in a church in Kwara State.
Ndume identified the president’s declaration of a state of emergency on security, deployment of forest guards, and improved welfare for security forces as some of the steps so far taken by the president to reverse the ugly trend.
According to him, besides adequate funding, President Tinubu, who vowed that “there will be no more hiding places for agents of evil,” also dropped a hint to recruit additional personnel for the Nigerian Police Force and the Army.
Ndume said, “I can see visible improvements in terms of cooperation between the Armed Forces and other security agencies. That is very commendable.
“There is visible improvement in the kitting of the military in terms of new arms, uniforms, protection helmets, boots and bulletproof vests.
“But still, government must do more by giving priority to arms and ammunition needed at theatres of operations. They need to procure more attack helicopters, add more armoured personnel carriers and gun trucks.”
Speaking on the president’s directive to the Department of State Services (DSS), Senator Ndume said, “The directive to engage forest guards, coupled with their training, has gone a long way to complement efforts of the Nigerian Army and they are happy with that too.”
The federal lawmaker equally urged northern governors to emulate their Borno State counterpart, Babagana Zulum, who has invested heavily in security efforts, supporting the military and other agencies with over N100 billion.
