Ex-Wazirin Katsina Demands Sack of Service Chiefs over Worsening Insecurity
•Kick against calls for self-defence
Francis Sardauna in Katsina
A Professor of Peace Studies and former Wazirin Katsina, Sani Abubakar Lugga, has called on President Bola Tinubu to sack the nation’s service chiefs if they cannot tackle the prevailing security challenges bedevilling the country.
Lugga, who recently proclaimed that Nigeria is under a divine curse borne out of bad leadership, disclosed this Monday at the Special Twin Lectures organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to commemorate the creation of Katsina State.
The Katsina NUJ patron had in 2022 resigned from the Katsina Emirate Council over a query issued to him by the council on the grounds that he discussed issues of insecurity in Ilorin, Kwara State, without permission from the emirate.
Lugga explained that President Tinubu should dismiss the service chiefs and appoint those who have the needed security proficiency to combat the country’s security challenges for peace and development to thrive.
He added that it was the constitutional responsibility of the president to secure the lives and properties of Nigerians as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces by taming the nefarious activities of terrorists in the country.
He also kicked against calls for self-defence by some governors, adding that there was no way unarmed citizens could defend themselves against marauding hoodlums who are terrorising the nation with sophisticated weapons such as AK-47.
He said: “I called on the state Governor (Dikko Umaru Radda) to call all his colleagues in the 36 states to please inform Mr President that it is entirely his responsibility as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to ensure that bandits and insurgents are eliminated.
“If Mr President and his commanders cannot do it, then let the Federal Government amend the constitution so that the governors can establish their own police to ensure that all citizens are protected against insecurity.
“They cannot be asking us to go and defend ourselves. There is no way unarmed people can defend themselves against those with AK 47 rifles. This is entirely the responsibility of the police and the army.
“The president should sack all the service chiefs if they cannot do it and employ those who can do it or allow the government to take care of their citizens.”
In his remarks, the Katsina NUJ Chairman, Hassan Tukur Dan-Ali, lauded Governor Dikko Umaru Radda’s administration for adopting proactive and revolving security measures to curb banditry in the state.
He assured the state government that the entire working journalists in the state will continue to support the government in its efforts to address the security and economic challenges.
