Afenifere Seeks Overhaul of Nation’s Security Architecture for Nigerians’ Safety

Fidelis David in Akure

A pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, yesterday, called on President Bola Tinubu to overhaul the security architecture of the country to ensure that Nigerians live and move about without the fear of being kidnapped or harassed in any way.

In communique issued after the meeting held at the residence of its national leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, Afenifere berated the spate of kidnapping across the country, particularly that of medical students that were kidnapped at Otukpo in Benue State, the invasion of villages between Oyo and Iseyin in Oyo State and the ones in Borno, Niger and Imo States.

The communique signed by the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Jare Ajayi, explained that there was also the urgent need to deploy modern technology more comprehensively into the efforts of combating banditry and terrorism.

According to Afenifere, doing so would check, if not totally stop, the incidences of kidnapping and sundry banditry now ravaging the land.

“Afenifere also advocated for the licensing of Amotekun to carry lethal weapons. There should be greater cooperation  between Amotekun and other security agencies. Command and Control posts be installed across all the local government areas so that information can be shared in real-time as is done in many developed and not so developed countries.”

In the light of the current high cost of living, Afenifere urged the federal government, through its various organs in charge of finance and fiscal policies, to accelerate actions that would strengthen the value of naira, enhance productivity, reduce costs of items and services geared towards reducing inflation and enhancing the welfare of the people.

“In view of the strategic position that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Plc and Independent Oil Marketers occupy in the oil sector, Afenifere strongly called on them to let the interest of the nation, nay the interest of the people of Nigeria, be uppermost in their minds and actions.

“The ruling by the Supreme Court has made it possible for local governments to have more control over their finances. It is, therefore, imperative for them to go back to what used to be the case in the past.

“By this, we mean a situation in which local government councils not only have farms, but make things easy for local farmers by providing them with needed resources – sometimes at subsidised fees.

“This will not only make foodstuffs more available, it will also enhance the council’s finances and boost the local economy. This will also partly take care of the concerns raised by the farmers who visited The Leader in April this year.”