North’s stakeholders demand urgent sack of service chiefs

By ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE, Kaduna

Worried by the rising security challenges in the North, particularly the recent killings of rice farmers in Borno State, Arewa Stakeholders Consultative Circle, has risen from an emergency meeting in Kaduna, asking President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately sack the Service Chiefs.

The Northern Stakeholders said, the current security challenges in the country and the North in particular, is not only an indication that, the security operatives have been overwhelmed, but that, the Service Chiefs have exhausted all strategies within their capacity to stop the avoidable killings.

In their communiqué signed by 12 leaders of groups representing several Northern States, the Arewa Stakeholders stated categorically that, the entire security architecture must be overhauled if the war against insurgency and criminalities must be won.

The communiqué was signed by; Nastura Ashir Sahriff, Kano; Abdul Ahmed Isiaq, Kaduna; Gambo Ibrahim Gugungu, Kaduna; Jibril Tafida, Kaduna; Engr. Bello Bichi,Kano; Murtala Muhammad, Kaduna; Mansir Guruza; Arc. Mathias Joseph, Plateau; Engr ibrahim Ndagi, Niger, Raphael Torkula, Benue; Aminu Saleh, Bauchi and Yerima Shettima, Kaduna.

According to the communiqué, “Rising from an emergency meeting of this group in Kaduna, held on the 1st of December 2020 to review the State of security in the north following the gruesome murdered of 43 according to the Nigerian Government figured and more than 90 persons by the United Nations sources innocent rice farmers at Zabarmari of Jere Local Government of Borno State.

“Consequently, we wish to declare as follows: We commiserate with people and government of Borno State, particularly the families of the farmers who lose their lives while working hard to legitimately earn a living despite the odds against them. Our heart and prayers are with them in this trial moment.

“We say emphatically that enough is enough of these senseless killings of innocent and unarmed civilians in Borno State and across the Northern part of Nigeria.

“The escalation of these killings almost on a daily basis in our view was a testimony that our troops stationed across the trouble areas are overwhelmed and the strategies currently in operation are not adequate.

“We categorically join millions of voices to call on President Muhammadu Buhari to without further delay, relieve the nation’s service chiefs of their posts as they have exhausted all strategies within their capacity to stop the avoidable killings.

“The security challenges have made million homeless in their own country, as the security Chiefs have failed to save Nigerians. These tragically-embarrassing experiences have continued to make us a laughingstock in the comity of Nations with dire consequences to our image abroad.

“We emphasize the urgent need not just of operational strategy of our troops in Borno State but a total overhauling of the nation security architecture as we advocates for robust intelligence gathering as component of war against insecurity.

“We are convinced that for our troops to succeed in their assignment to bring back laws and order in areas currently face with challenges of insecurity active collaboration with communities is key as we equally, recognize the importance of inter agencies collaboration.