National Chairman of the Action Democratic Party, Mr Yabagi Sani has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to seek the support of mercenaries in the fight against armed banditry and insurgents plaguing the country.
He made the call on Friday while addressing a press briefing in Abuja.
The ADP chairman said the nation’s Armed Forces appears overwhelmed by the security menace and should seek support to save Nigerians at the receiving end of the security threats.
Mr Sani maintained that the presidency should bite the humble pie and consider all possible solutions.
He said:” It is our considered opinion that if the end will justify the means, let the nation put aside pride, bite the humble pie even if the external solution is coming by the name of mercenaries.
“All that can be done must be done to put an end to the gory of deaths, the devastation of homesteads, rape and economic ruination on a monumental scale over all these years.”
The ADP also demanded the probe of budgetary provisions for defence for procurement of arms and ammunition to prosecute the war against terrorism in the country.
While it accused the National Assembly of cold indifference to misappropriation of fund it appropriated for defence, the opposition party restated its call for massive recruitment and enlistment of able-bodied Nigerians into the armed forces to safeguard the territorial integrity of the country.
It added: “By the way, we like all others to ponder over the puzzle that, while the Nigerian Army alone has an estimated strength of 300,000 trained officers and men, the ragtag Boko Haram fighters and the bandits combined, are said to be less than 20,000. So, what is happening?
“On banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes across the country, the position of our party is that the time has come for the nation to consider the involvement of communities in security surveillance and policing such as the use of hunters and local vigilantes that have proved to be rewarding in many instances of their engagements.”
The ADP further called for the decentralization of the Nigerian Police Force with States and Local Councils having their police formations as it is practised in most countries of the modern world.
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
We Have Not Had Water Supply In Months ― Abeokuta Residents
In spite of the huge investment in the water sector by the government and international organisations, water scarcity has grown to become a perennial nightmare for residents of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. This report x-rays the lives and experiences of residents in getting clean, potable and affordable water amidst the surge of COVID-19 cases in the state…ADP asks Buhari to seek ADP asks Buhari to seek
Selfies, video calls and Chinese documentaries: The things you’ll meet onboard Lagos-Ibadan train
The Lagos-Ibadan railway was inaugurated recently for a full paid operation by the Nigerian Railway Corporation after about a year of free test-run. Our reporter joined the train to and fro Lagos from Ibadan and tells his experience in this report…ADP asks Buhari to seek ADP asks Buhari to seek