Views: Visits 9 State of affairs threatens Nigeria’s existence not only elections – Okorie FG must strengthen security forces or… – Unagha Rising insecurity a forerunner to anarchy – Ejiofor By Clifford Ndujihe THERE are increasing threats to 2023 general polls and fears that the election may not hold. Reasons: increasing waves of insecurity and climate of violence, agitation for secession by some parts of the country, and insistence by many groups and leaders that the country must be restructured with fiscal and other powers devolved to the federating units before elections could be held. The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, said yesterday that attacks on its offices could derail the general elections.
•Two killed in attack on Enugu police station
•Bandits kill one, abduct Kaduna private university students
By Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja, Christopher Isiguzo, Gideon Arinze in Enugu and John Shiklam in Kaduna
Security analysts yesterday expressed outrage over the news of the deployment of 144 personnel of the Nigeria Police in Somalia under an African Union (AU) peace keeping mission, despite the rising security challenges facing the country, exacerbated by a shortage of hands to combat insecurity.
The Africa Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) had announced the arrival of a contingent of 144 policemen and women from Nigeria to boost the country’s security.
Kingsley Nwezeh delves into the growing list of regional security outfits in the Southern part of the country, the rationale behind their emergence and the implications for Nigeria’s corporate existence
With the birth of the South-east Regional Security Outfit, Ebube Agu (the fearsome aura of a lion) by the South-east Governors’ Forum last week, the outfit joined the growing list of regional organisations, after their South-west counterparts launched Amotekun last year.
The alternative security measures are largely a response to wanton killings, kidnappings and rape of married and young women across the country by herdsmen, terrorists, armed bandits and other criminal elements who have recently moved down south.
Ignatius Igwe
A former Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mike Ejiofor has warned that the 2023 general elections would not hold over the worsening security situation in the country.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s
Sunrise Daily on Monday, Ejiofor asked the Federal Government to urgently tackle insecurity head-on.
“If we don’t get these things right before 2023 elections, if we don’t get these things sorted out the various security challenges in the various geopolitical zones, I can assure you that there won’t be elections,” he said.
“There will be a crisis in this country, there will be anarchy. We need to sort out this thing before 2023.
Channels Television
A former Director of the Department of State Services, Mr Mike Ejiofor on Monday said the recent reduction in cases of banditry across the country could be attributed to the Ramadan fasting currently being observed across the country.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community.
The Sultan of Sokoto last week had signalled the commencement of the Ramadan fast, after a moon sighting.
“It (banditry) is not coming down,” Mr Ejiofor said. “There’s a lull, especially in the North-West; you know we are observing fasting now. So that’s responsible for what we think is a lull in the issues of banditry, especially in the North-West where it is very prevalent.