By Valentine Amanze
The Northern Elders Forum has called for a total overhaul of Nigeria’s security architecture to competently tackle all the security challenges confronting the nation.
This is coming less than two weeks after the lawmakers in the House of Representatives advocated the sack of the Service Chiefs for their inability to find solution to the rising insecurity in Nigeria.
The convener of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Professor Ango Abdullahi, stated that the current government, led by President Muhammadu Buhari has failed to secure the citizens from incessant attacks by bandits and other terrorist groups.
According to the statement, the forum also lamented that poverty, particularly in the north, and massive social insecurity have worsened under the Buhari administration.
“With this type of mindset, it is difficult to see how President Buhari can accept the challenge to radically improve his handling of our security situation.
“Nonetheless, we believe that Nigerians must continue to raise our voices and organize through all legitimate means to demand that the administration addresses major failings in his perception of our situation and his response to our demands for our rights to security,” the statement reads in part.
The Northern Elders Forum condemned the insurgents’ tactics of targeting Christians and publicising their execution but it also appealed to religious leaders not to fall into the trap of insurgents setting them against each other.
On community policing, the forum recommended the adoption of a more vigorous and inclusive process but asked state governments to exercise higher levels of restraint and responsibility in the manner they respond to security challenges.
Another issue the Northern Elders forum commented on was the restriction order by the Lagos State government on the operation of commercial motorcycles and tricycle riders.
The forum urged northern state governments to mobilize and support affected riders from the north who may wish to relocate back to the territory.