‘Enough of Killing Our Traditional Fathers’ — Groups Urge Minister of Defense to Tackle Insecurity in Northern Nigeria

Folalumi Alaran in Abuja

Socio-cultural organizations, Rebuild Arewa Initiative for Development (RAID) and Northern Consensus Movement (NCM), have called on the Minister of Defense, Abubakar Badaru, the State Minister for Defense, Bello Mattawalle, and all heads of security organizations to redouble their efforts in restoring peace in the northern part of the country.

They also urged the federal government to develop new strategies to secure the lives and property of citizens, emphasizing that Nigeria cannot grow under the current conditions of insecurity and the continuous killing of its citizens by criminal elements.

The groups condemned the killing of the late District Head of Gatawa, Emir of Gobir, Alhaji Isa Muhammad Bawa, who was kidnapped and murdered by bandits operating in Nigeria.

At a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, the President of RAID, Comrade Balarabe Rufai, stated unequivocally that enough is enough of the killings of traditional fathers in northern Nigeria and the country at large.

According to him, as the chief security officer of the state, the Sokoto State Governor had demonstrated a poor capacity in protecting the royal father who had served his people and state diligently for over 40 years.

“We frown at that. We will not relent in our community engagement to curb these heinous activities being perpetrated,” Rufai said.

He added that insecurities and killings of innocent citizens have continued to escalate, as if there were no government in place.

“At this juncture, we are urging the Minister of Defense, State Minister of Defense, and all the Heads of various Security Organizations to double their efforts in restoring security in the North.

“Even though they have been working tirelessly towards ensuring the overall well-being of the nation, we must admit that they need to do more than what they are currently doing to address the insecurity in Nigeria.

“We are urging the federal government and the state governments to fast-track the autonomy of our local government areas, so that the local government administrators can assist in curbing the excessive criminality and criminal tendencies at the grassroots.”

The groups also called on all Northern Governors, Senators, House of Representatives members, and Security Agents from the Northern States to urgently convene a Northern Security Colloquium in Kaduna to discuss strategies for finding a lasting solution to the security challenges in the region.

“Lastly, they announced that these bodies would immediately begin consultations towards achieving the Colloquium.”