According to Babachir Lawal, a former federal secretary, the federal administration has ignored national security threats.
Lawal, who was SGF under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, has stated categorically that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is uninterested in addressing insecurity.
This administration under Tinubu is unlike the ones of Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, according to the ex-SGF.
“Governments that were in power before were more lenient,” Lawal remarked Wednesday night on Channels Television.
In terms of justice, fairness, and the battle against corruption, they did a better job serving Nigerians. It was in the face of insecurity that Goodluck Jonathan battled. This administration is uninterested in what Buhari accomplished after taking power, he said.
He stated that the northeastern state of Adamawa was largely tranquil prior to Tinubu’s arrival in May 2023.
But he insisted that the security situation had deteriorated during this administration’s first two years in office.
Lawal also attacked Nuhu Ribadu, the country’s national security adviser, claiming that Ribadu had failed to address his concerns about the lack of action against assassinations and other security risks.
He bemoaned the loss of life among Nigerian troops in the field of operations and urged immediate measures to quell the violence.
It is unclear to me what Ribadu is responsible for. I will inform you after I observe his work.
When I see that their efforts are paying off, I will speak up. I am unaffected.
There are troops fighting overseas, and I know that some of them are dying; many of them are members of my own community. They are people I know.
“What gives them the will to live?” Because they are unsupported by the system that should be there to help them.
“You shoot one, it jams,” he remarked, referring to the practice of sending soldiers into battle with outdated weapons that could only hold 20 rounds of ammo, even while their enemy had access to one kilometer of bullets.
Lawal justified Buhari’s administration’s performance when questioned why he did not address this throughout his tenure.
We had more time and better weapons. Our own was a soldier, which was a huge plus for us.
The concerns were clear to our head of state, and he handled them admirably. Lawal further speculated that Tinubu might not be interested.
Worries over the recent wave of instability in the nation prompted the remarks from the former SGF.
The American president has threatened to invade Nigeria with “guns-a-blazing” if the most populous African nation does not stop what he called the terrorist slaughter of Christians.
Last week, Tinubu made a commitment on behalf of his administration to step up efforts to combat crime and terrorism.
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