…renews call for state police
Former Presidential Aide and veteran journalist, Laolu Akande, has called on President Bola Tinubu to treat the growing insecurity across Nigeria as an existential threat, warning that the country is under siege from both internal and external enemies. Speaking on his Sunday political talk show, Inside Sources with Laolu Akande on Channels Television, Akande stressed the urgency of a coordinated, far-reaching national response to the worsening security situation.
“Our country is faced with an existential threat which has some deep foreign dimension,” Akande stated. “Our enemies are not just within but also without. And there is a concerted effort to overwhelm this nation, and such an onslaught demands that we put forth the very best of our country’s capacity.”
Akande echoed the alarm raised by Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, a consistent voice on the devastating impact of insurgency in the Northeast. According to Akande, the governor’s recent comments underscore how dire the situation has become. Zulum had expressed concern that Boko Haram was regaining control of areas in Borno, stating that the state is losing ground in the fight against terrorism. “The Governor reminded us of the existential threat that insecurity, banditry, and kidnappings have become in our country,” Akande said. “The Shehu of Borno even claimed that three local government areas are now effectively under Boko Haram control.”
The situation is not limited to the Northeast. Akande pointed to remarks by the Governor of Plateau State, who described the recent mass killings in the state as genocidal in nature. He lamented that the security architecture currently in place is inadequate to address the scale and persistence of these attacks. “This perennial problem demands more urgency and decisiveness. We need enough troops on the ground. Our troops are stretched far too thin,” Akande warned.
He further emphasized the need for structural reforms in Nigeria’s policing system, calling for a decentralization of the Nigeria Police Force. “We need state police or at the very least, a more devolved policing system,” he argued. “This country is far too large and too diverse to be policed effectively by one centralized command. We have seen the consequences of this play out over and over again.”
Akande urged the Tinubu administration to show political will and muster national consensus in confronting the security challenges that threaten the survival of the Nigerian state. “This is not the time for politics or bureaucracy,” he concluded. “This is the time to act with clarity, purpose, and urgency. The survival of Nigeria depends on it.”
His remarks add to the growing chorus of voices demanding immediate and sweeping reforms to Nigeria’s security architecture, especially in light of increasing attacks, abductions, and insurgent activity in various parts of the country.
