Natural, Logical, Practical And Effective Solutions To Insecurity In Nigeria

By Alhaji Yahaya Ndu

30 Jul 2026

PREFACE.

The First Daily National Dialogue on Security is not only an apt program but also very auspicious.

Insecurity of lives and properties which the 1999 constitution of Nigeria states should be the primary purpose of government has become the most challenging aspect of present day Nigeria.

Research spanning 2015 to 2025 indicates that upwards 70,000 to 90,000 civilians and security personnel have died in Nigeria with conflict related fatalities routinely surpassing 10,000 per year recently.

After 55 days in captivity some kidnapped school children and their teachers in Oyo state have been rescued by the nation's security forces.

We are told that some of the kidnappers were killed during the operation to release the children and their teachers and that some of the kidnappers have been captured.

This is good news and a big relief to all.

Among the kidnapped school children were little kids and even before the nation took real notice of the kidnap incident and took the kidnappers more seriously they beheaded one of the teachers and posted the dastardly beheading act online showing how inhuman and callous life has degenerated to in our country Nigeria,the giant of Africa.

It is no longer news that hundreds of school children are routinely kidnapped in many parts of our country,some are even held in captivity for years,some girls are even married off by the kidnappers with many of their parents dying of despondency and heartbreak.

Hundreds and thousands of communities are attacked and sacked and sometimes the communities are taken over by the attackers.

Destruction of farmlands allover the country by herdsmen most of whom are said not even to be Nigerians has become common place and travelling by road has become a nightmare.

Honestly, insecurity has brought the nation to her knees.

Truth be told, insecurity in Nigeria did not start with the administration of President Tinubu.

It was there during the eight years of General Mohammadu Buhari and as a matter of fact was even there during the administration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

During the time of Buhari,he frequently held meetings with the service chiefs.

Tinubu is also frequently holding meetings with the Service chiefs etc and his government has announced it's determination to establish state police.

However the bottom line is that insecurity is undeniably steadily on the increase throughout the length and breath of Nigeria.

This objective of this paper is to put forward NATURAL LOGICAL PRACTICAL AND EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS to the challenges of insecurity in Nigeria so that we can begin to sleep with both eyes closed and insecurity will become a thing of the past and our children can to school without fear of being kidnapped,our farmers can go to farms without fear of being attacked,travelers can travel throughout Nigeria safely.

INTRODUCTION

It is frightening that despite all the suffocating and strangulating insecurity in the country the ruling class regardless of political parties appear to be not really so perturbed and are to all intents and purposes unperturbed to such an extent that all their reflexes by way of taming and combating the menace is happening at a snail pace.

From 2021 when I was appointed as Director of the Institute for African Renaissance Studies and Actualisation at the Gregory University,the pioneer project that we undertook was the convening of what we called NIGERIAN PEOPLES PEACE AND SECURITY SUMMIT which was planned to commence simultaneously from all the communities within the country as well as all communities of the global Nigerian Diaspora and from there move to the wards and to local government councils and from their to states ,to the geopolitical zones and the National.

The intention was for the masses themselves who bear the brunt of insecurity in Nigeria to have an opportunity to make their own contributions in terms of ideas and initiatives on how to combat insecurity and to channel the decisions to the authorities at all levels for interrogation and possible adoption and implementation.

We had reached out to several quarters who ordinarily one would be expected to be interested in participating towards it's success but alas ,over 90% of them demonstrated little or no tangible interests.

Some of those we reached out to include but are by no means limited to the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA),the Secretary to the Federal Government,the House of Representatives Committee on Traditional Institutions, the Association of Local Governments Chairmen of Nigeria ( ALGON),the Nigerian Bar Assistant (NBA), the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), the Ohanaeze, Scene,Pan Niger Delta Forum ( PANDEF),Ijaw National Congress (INC)etc

To say the least,none of them showed any real interest in the project.

I recall several efforts I made from over six years ago to get retired Army Generals in Northern Nigeria to convene a Northern /Arewa peace and security summit to no avail.

Even now as our nation approaches the 2027 general elections,the political parties including all the presidential candidates have not taken the issue of insecurity seriously.

As a matter of fact a small group which I lead(the Peoples Movement For a New Nigeria (PMNN)is still trying to convene what we call the Ernest Ikoli Presidential Debate where we challenge them all to make open and put on the table practical for to the challenges confronting Nigeria beginning with that of insecurity.

IST ERNEST IKOLI MEMORIAL PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

The challenges confronting Nigeria currently are multifaceted and there is apprehension, desperation and despair across the country.

Political parties and presidential aspirants are all over the place soliciting the support of the masses to be entrusted with power to govern Nigeria,a nation of over two hundred million people yet most ironically none of them have put anything on the table by way of practical action plans that they have articulated to take the nation out of the woods to the promised land.

What is needed now is a robust debate amongst all political parties and presidential aspirants on practical solutions to the challenges confronting Nigeria beginning with that of insecurity.

Fellow Nigerians, I Alhaji Yahaya Ndu of Enugu Neke Oghe in Ezeagu local government area of Enugu state, Founder and National Chairman of the deregistered African Renaissance Party (ARP) in discharge of my duties as a concerned citizen of Nigeria, I challenge His Excellency President Ahmed Bola Tinubu or any member of his government whom he chooses to represent him to a thorough debate on practical solutions to the challenges confronting our beloved country, the same challenge also goes to His Excellency the former Vice president of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar he is at liberty to nominate any member of his campaign team to represent him if he is too busy to participate directly,the same for His Excellency the former governor of Rivers state and former Minister for Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, the same for the former Governor of Anambra state Mr Peter Obi,the same for the former Governor of Kano state His Excellency Kwankwaso, the challenge also goes to all National Chairmen of all political parties in Nigeria as well as all presidential aspirants in our country.

I call on the Nigerian Union of Journalists,Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Ohanaeze Ndigbo,Afenefere,PANDEF, Middle Belt Congress,Ijaw National Congress, The Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, the Christian Association of Nigeria, the Nigerian Bar Association and other well meaning organisations in Nigeria to join hands to organise the debates.

What is more important is not who performs so well in the exercise but the make available ideas for solving the numerous challenges confronting Nigeria at this point in time.

THIS DEBATE IS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF THE EXTRAORDINARY NIGERIAN HERO WHO THE NATION HAS FAILED TO RECOGNISE AND IMMORTALISE: ERNEST SISEI IKOLI (1893-1960)

THE IJAW BORN PIONEER NIGERIAN JOURNALIST , NATIONALIST AND PATRIOT WHO MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE LAID THE FOUNDATION FOR NIGERIAN INDEPENDENCE

Long live Nigeria

So far the reactions from the very few who bothered to say anything or react on it are troubling.

While one said he would not disclose his plans, another said he would set up special courts to try the terrorists why another said he would invest in intelligence gathering etc

SOURCES OF INSECURITY IN NIGERIA

Manipulation by foreign powers
Boko Haram, ISIS (violent extremist groups responsible for severe harm and human rights violations)
Kidnapping for ransom
Armed robbery
Ritual murder
Intertribal conflicts
Herdsmen–farmers clashes
Religious conflicts
Border disputes
Banditry
Secret cults
Police/military brutality
IPOB, ESN
Oduduwa Republic agitation
Niger Delta militancy
Massive youth unemployment
Corruption
Drug abuse
Moral decadence
Indoctrination through movies
Nepotism, tribalism, favouritism
Human organ harvesting
Land grabbing
Wrong religious indoctrination
Lack of patriotism
Injustice
Insensitivity among authorities
Proliferation of small arms
Thuggery
Dysfunctional governance system
Lack of appreciation for patriots
Promotion of non‑state actors
Poor incentives for security personnel

SOLUTIONS

1.INFUSION OF PATRIOTISM

It is said that where there is a will,there is a way.

Strong will or what in the case in point can be called "political will",is perhaps the most foundational antidote to insecurity in Nigeria.

It should go without saying that the first element for restoring security in Nigeria is the political will be do what it takes.

If for instance our security officers combat, overwhelming and capturing some bandits,or terrorists or insurgents etc and rather than charging them to court and prosecuting them diligently,the government frees and resettles them and reintegrating them into the society,such government has demonstrated in clear terms that it doesn't possess the political will be stop insecurity in Nigeria.

2, STATE POLICE AND TRADITIONAL RULERS

It is welcome development that after years and years of denying the obvious, and after hundreds and thousands of Nigerians have been murdered and mained and kidnapped,the Executive and the Legislative arms of government have most reluctantly agreed that the decentralisation of policing is common sense,makes sense and the right way to go if Nigeria wants to stop the insecurity ravaging the length and breadth of the country.

The delay in this is particularly surprising to me as a person because the manifesto of the African Renaissance Party( ARP )which I founded in 2002 and was deregistered in 2012 contained provisions for not only state police but zonal police, local government police and community police.

However I must point out that there is a difference between state police proper and state branches of federal police.

Though both the presidency and the National Assembly appear to have decided to move for the establishment of state police, what they are envisaging in practical terms are novel state branches of the old federal police and not state police proper.

The kind of state police being conceived today by the presidency and the National Assembly are in my opinion completely useless and cannot play any meaningful part in stemming the insecurity ravaging and overwhelming the generality of Nigerians.

If indeed we are serious about escaping state police to tackle and arrest insecurity in Nigeria then the control of the state police must be vested on the people themselves who bear the brunt of the insecurity as is said he who wears the shoes feels the pinch.

The control of state police must never be vested on politicians,partisan politicians for that matter but on Traditional Rulers, religious leaders,youth leaders and women leaders.

This should be non negotiable.

PRIVATE ARMIES

It is common knowledge that the security machinery and architecture in Nigeria has been seriously infiltrated and compromised as a result of multiple factors including the obnoxious and totally unlawful, unconstitutional and reprehensible so called reintegration of so called repentant terrorists and bandits back into the society (some even say 'back into the security forces and services).

Therefore to put a total stop to acts of terrorism and banditry,there is need to engage external forces and assistance in a controlled, monitored and organized temporary basis.

It is therefore hereby suggested that private armies (mercenaries) from different parts of the world with clear track records of efficient and effective performances to be interrogated and engaged to operate for a period of one year in all the states of the federation plus the Federal capital territory Abuja within which period they are to be charged with dual responsibility of:

a, Ensuing that absolutely no acts of terrorism or banditry occurs within the states they are assigned to.

b, Training the state police personnel that will take over from them after the one year of their engagement.

It is suggested that HRM Asari Dokubo and the Buratai Research Centre Abuja be assigned with the responsibilities of monitoring the private armies so engaged.

Conditions and terms of service of the private armies should be clearly spelt out and their payments would depend strictly on the effectiveness of their operations.

It is suggested that 37 separate such private armies should be engaged with each one assigned to a separate state and one for the FCT.

EXPOSING THE HYPOCRISY OF CERTAIN MUSLIM ELITES

Islam is a religion of peace.

There is absolutely no doubt about that.

It is strange therefore that in our country Nigeria, some Muslim leaders and elites, even so called clerics , through the ages have used the name of Islam to perpetrate unimaginable horrors, and most gruesome and inhuman and unspeakable atrocities against other Nigerians,both Muslims and Christians, including some too ,who are neither Muslims nor Christians.

As a matter of fact,at least in my opinion, Muslim terrorists have become the greatest source of insecurity in Nigeria which is most strange for adherents of a religion that we say is a religion of peace.

It is said that actions speak louder than words and from their fruits, you shall know them.

To say the least the actions of some of our Muslim elites in Nigeria and their footsoldiers are more abominable than abominations.

Islamic terrorism is among the most resilient and intractable terrorism on earth today and experience has proven and demonstrated beyond all doubts that force of arms alone can never defeat it.

The experience of the United States of America in Afghanistan after spending trillions of dollars and years but had to depart eventually in shame and failure , without achieving anything tangible.

We all can also see that the United States which came into Nigeria claiming it came to fight terrorists and to stop what they said was genocide against Christians have also departed largely after achieving little or nothing as insecurity has not abated in Nigeria in anyway due in their intervention.

It has been my considered opinion that the Jihad of our time (the present age),is that of getting Muslims to abide by the tenets of Islam.

In line with this logic therefore,it is hereby submitted that one of the most effective avenues of dealing with terrorism perpetrated by Muslims is the report them to the global Muslim community ( unmah), presenting all necessary proofs of the allegations which should not be too difficult in these times of information technology revolution,as it is the irrefutable and indelegatable and inalienable responsibility of Muslims to rid humanity of all territories terrorising humanity in the name of Islam.

MASS PARTICIPATORY GOVERNANCE

The reality of governance and government administration in Nigeria today is that our so called 'multi party democracy ' has been turned to a sick joke by our political parties and politicians and the degree of responsibility of the ruling class to the people they are supposed to be serving and representing has practically been reduced to zero.

Under true ' multi party democracy ',where political parties and politicians are identified by their ideological leanings and policies,if an elected political party or politician does not live up to expectations of the electorate,the electorate either recalls him or her before the next election or votes him or her out of office during elections. But in Nigeria of today,this is no longer so.

In present day Nigeria , politicians move from one party to another before, during and after elections without any recourse to the voters or electorate without any consequences.

The judiciary that is supposed to be the hope of the common man(so to say) even according to leaders of the bar association has become heavily and sordidly compromised.

It has become therefore necessary, even inevitable to articulate, conceive and introduce an initiative that will ensure that there is responsible and responsive and transparent good governance in the polity regardless of what political parties or which politicians are in power at any point in time.

The name of the novel initiative in question is," Nigerian Peoples Democracy Governance Initiative"(NPDGI).

The initiative is conceived and designed to provide the essential modern tools to peacefully, democratically and constructively sensitise , galvanize and mobilize the overwhelming majority of Nigerians at home and in our global Diaspora to get involved from wherever they find themselves currently in the world to begin to intervene in their sorry state and together like one family, bring about the ideal Nigeria of their dreams where everything works within the shortest possible time frame.

The engine room of this initiative is a website which can functionally be described as a group or conglomeration of websites seamlessly coexisting and co-functioning together for the betterment of Nigeria.

The website is planned to accommodate the log-ins of between 50-100 million Nigerians chatting, browsing, communicating and holding tens and hundreds of meetings and forums simultaneously and continually.

The website must be such that it will be impossible for the current or any subsequent government of Nigeria to block or interfere with it in anyway.

At least 40 Nigerian Universities, polytechnics and colleges of education 's appropriate departments selected from all states of the federation and the FCT are planned to be engaged to provide ancillary materials and documents etc corresponding to the 36 states and the FCT as well as the 774 LGAs and development area councils in Nigeria.

Everything about this initiative shall be 100% for Nigeria not partisan in anyway and and about ensuring and guaranteeing good, effective and efficient governance.

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE WORLD ISLAM PURIFICATION INITIATIVE

During the time of Dr Good luck Ebele Jonathan as president of Nigeria,I had come to the considered conclusion that there was indeed a way to stop the terrorist activities of the dreaded organisation that claimed most erroneously to be a Muslim outfit and I had reached out to different people including the authorities.

I was eventually invited by the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) for discussion.

I was residing at Badagry, Lagos state at the time.

As I was getting ready to depart Badagry for Abuja for the meeting, I had bought a newspaper ( I believe it was Punch Newspaper) and while going through the paper I came across an interesting article in the paper written by someone from a University in the south west and coincidentally the article was about how some other countries faced with the kind of challenges that the Boko Haram posed ,delt with the challenges and returned their nations to normalcy.

As a matter of fact what the writer was advocating was exactly what I had in mind so I was emboldened more.

I therefore took the paper with me for the Abuja meeting with the officials of the NSA.

As I made my presentation at the meeting and brought out the paper and pointed out the article in question to buttress my point,one of the officials of the NSA's office a lady stood up and fetched their own copy of the paper and said that they agreed to my presentation entirely and that what I was referring to was known as 'strategic communication '.

Honestly I had expected that since we all agreed on the effectiveness and suitability of the same method, that I would be asked to stay behind so that the implementation would commence immediately but that was not to be.

Incidentally I also recall that I had reached out to top government functionaries of the north eastern state were the Boko Haram was most active and spoke amongst others with the chief of staff to the governor of the state most terrorised by the sect at that time,a professor and was surprised at the question he asked me when I told him that there was a way to stop the Boko Haram without even shooting one bullet.

He asked me if I was from the North East when I said he said that there were not interested in speaking with or working with anyone who was not from the North East on the matter.

I was shocked to say the least.

Suffice it to say that I am still confident of the effectiveness of the method I had in mind then and believe that our country needs it now more than ever before.

The idea is to establish an organisation to be known possibly as:" World Islam Purification Initiative (WIPI) whose objective was to use the dictates of Islam as contained in the Qur'an and the Hadith to convince Muslims of Nigeria ( especially Boko Haram members),west Africa and the world that the activities of Boko Haram and all other such groups were 100% opposed to Islam and must be stopped immediately and also to mobilize Muslims from allover the world to realise that it is their responsibility to confront and stop Boko Haram and all other such groups in Nigeria, Africa and around the world.

I strongly believe that this is to say the least one of the most effective ways of bringing a total stop to this menace.

SPECIAL NETWORK SHORT WAVE RADIO AND TV STATION

When Gen.David Jemebewon was Minister for Police Affairs, I was residing in Abuja and was staying very temporarily at the National Headquarters of the Alliance For Democracy (AD) one of the about 4 Registered Political Parties in Nigeria at the time (Ambassador Yusuf Mamman was the National Chairman and Dr Udenta Udenta was the National Secretary).

The office was at Abeokuta street at Area 8,Garki,Abuja.

One night there was disturbances at a nearby compound said to be some form of girls hostel.

When I went outside the Bungalow but still within the AD office building I could see that it was an ongoing armed robbery operation and that the girls were being robbed.

From where I was I shouted at the robbers asking them to feel some shame and leave the girls alone and go and look for something better to do.

They laughed at me calling me a mad man.

It then occurred to me that if there was a Radio Station operating 24 hours to which Nigerians /the public could call in on real time to report criminal activities that were ongoing and such reports were broadcast that the security operatives and the general public would be in a position to help arrest,apprehend and stop criminals.

I decided to take the idea to the Minister of Police Affairs and therefore went to the office of the Minister at the Federal Secretariat.

To cut a long story short after several trials I was never able to meet and discuss with the minister and at a point when I tried to confront him as I was waiting in the waiting room and he was trying to head for the airport to travel out of town I was ordered to be detained at the police station there at the Federal Secretariat and never really had the opportunity to make my presentation to the minister.

The point however is that we need a dedicated special Radio station and TV station in Nigeria to which members of the public could when necessary call in to report ongoing criminal or terrorist activities as this could help alert the public as well as security officers to do something about it.

MONTHLY NIGERIAN PEOPLES PEACE AND SECURITY SUMMITS

It is suggested that monthly online mass participatory summits be organised for the participation of interested generality of Nigerians throughout the 774 local government areas of the 36 states and the FCT as well as all over the localities in the world where members of the Nigerian Diaspora are resident.

The objective is to organise Nigerian people from allover Nigeria and the world to collectively brainstorm in an elaborate,free and mass participatory manner to reason out practical solutions to the security challenges confronting the country presently and present possible solutions to the government at the federal,state and local government levels for interrogation, and possible adoption and implementation to bring about a more secure and peaceful nation and people.

The summits would also give the people the opportunity to evaluate the successes and setbacks so far of other measures being put in place to check insecurity and suggest ways of improvement for the betterment of all.

LEGAL ACTIONS AGAINST CERTAIN COMPROMISED AND COMPLICIT INDIVIDUALS, ORGANISATIONS AND GROUPS.

There are many individuals, groups and organisations in Nigeria and outside Nigeria who by their actions and omissions have been actively promoting and supporting insecurity, murders, kidnappings,arsons,land grabbing, intimidations, genocide and oppressions and other denials of fundamental human rights of peoples of Nigeria who by all sane and patriotic demands should be prosecuted in courts of law in Nigeria and outside Nigeria.

A proper and efficient and water tight compilation of such individuals, groups and organisations should be put together and a patriotic and special thoroughly dedicated local and International group put together and adequately funded and motivated and monitored and charged to begin thorough and efficient prosecution of such individuals, groups and organisations in appropriate courts of law in Nigeria and outside Nigeria.

The message must be laid out in clear, unambiguous and unmistakable terms that from now henceforth there is totally zero tolerance for insecurity and acts of human rights abuse in Nigeria.

MULTI INTERACTIVE SECURITY WEBSITE

A case is hereby being made for the designing, construction, hosting and operating of a specialised website for the sole purpose of monitoring and improving security of lives and properties in Nigeria and for Nigerians around the world.

Members of the public will be encouraged to upload relevant information concerning exclusively security matters for all Nigerians on the website.

Forums on security and allied matters by Nigerians would be held on the website.

The website would also be the one where all who desire accurate and reliable information about anything that has to do with security in Nigeria would visit and obtain such information.

Pictures of wanted suspects would be uploaded there,etc.

The website will amongst other things be hosting the Monthly Nigerian Peoples Peace and Security Summits and information regarding all resolutions , recommendations from such summits would be made available there.

ESTABLISHMENT OF AGRIC CITIES

It is often said that one of the reasons why insurgents and terrorists find it easy to recruit followers is because of prevalent poverty and unemployment.

Some even say that it is also because they feel that successive governments have neglected them.

Those who asset these are quick to point out that Nigeria, more particularly northern Nigeria is the poverty capital of the whole world.

I have for many years been making the proposition that special cities should be established in many parts of the country that will serve multiple progressive and developmental purposes and which have the capacity of creating hundreds of thousands and millions of well paying jobs that not only would not require special skills to engage in but can train, inculcate and enhance specialized skills as necessary on the job.

These Agric Cities which would be extremely commercially viable and rather than becoming a drain on the financial and other resources of the states would on the contrary be even generating considerable revenue for the states.

Such establishments are also designed to be capable of attracting massive local as well as foreign investments.

The agric cities will be essentially 'agric ',in the sense that they would be massive agricultural establishments ,but they would also in addition have educational facilities from nursery, primary and tertiary institutions.

They would also in addition have health , sporting, commercial facilities etc of high standards.

The so called farmers /herders clashes which everyone knows are a major contributory factor to insecurity and high cost of food items in Nigeria would also be taken care of by the establishment of these Agric Cities in the sense that all cattle activities would be happening within the cities.

From the time of President Mohammadu Buhari,armed herders and unarmed herders from different parts of Africa have been encouraged to migrate to Nigeria with millions of their cattle which has resulted in uncountable and too numerous clashes and occasioned a lot of needless fatalities,loss of farmlands and not to mention maiming of hundreds of thousands of people whose only crime was that they were farming or protecting their ancestral farmlands.

It has also led to massive and unprecedented displacement of millions, making Nigeria perhaps the country with the most numerous number of internally displaced people on earth today,with the highest number of IDP camps.

As middle ground between ranching and free grazing, all the Agric Cities would offer extremely suitable all year grazing lands that will provide best foliage,fodder and water for the cattles without interfering with the farmlands of others.

This will certainly help bring about a more secure nation.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS AND COMMUNITIES TOURISM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEES

One of the reasons why terrorism and kidnapping have flourished in Nigeria is that there are just too many ungoverned spaces.

Bandits, terrorists, insurgents, separatists,kidnappers etc have penetrated almost all our forests,game reserves , mountains ranges ,creeks and what have you.

It is proposed that the peoples of all local government areas in Nigeria in partnership with all state governments in Nigeria should reclaim their forests, and so called numerous ungoverned spaces from the criminal terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, separatists etc in a construction and productive manner.

Incidentally in 1992 under the able administration of President Ibrahim Babangida,all states were enjoined by decree to establish Local Government Tourism Committees in all local government areas.

I should know as I organised the First All Nigerian Local Governments Tourism Development Workshop in 1993 in collaboration with the Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria ( ATPN).

The pioneer president of the ATPN was Alabo Mike Amachree while the Chairman of the Board of Trustees was His Excellency HRM King Alfred Diete Spiff( the first Governor of Rivers state ) the Amanyanabo of Twon Brass.

It is therefore hereby suggested that all state governments in Nigeria should partner with the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation ( NTDC) to establish local governments tourism development committees for all the local government areas in Nigeria.

As a matter of fact, tourism development in the local government areas of Nigeria has been one of the most neglected aspects of our planning,in spite of the fact that over 75% of the nation's touristic assets are in these areas.

The advocated local government tourism development committees are to serve as tourism information officers, provide tourist guides, preserve and maintain monuments,and local museums etc in their areas.

All local government areas in Nigeria have lots of enviable tourism potentials , attractions and endowments,whose proper developments could be immensely beneficial and no doubt could help them achieve prominence as well as providing well paying jobs for the youths and others as well as earn revenue thereby eliminating and eradicating poverty and unemployment.

With the activism of the local government tourism development committees and their subsidiary communities tourism development committees,no inch of Nigerian territories would henceforth remain ungoverned and concomitantly,there would be less hiding places for terrorists, bandits,kidnappers and other criminals.

EXPANSION AND DECENTRALISATION OF STATE POLICE TO ZONAL, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND COMMUNITIES POLICE ESTABLISHMENTS

As said earlier,the effectiveness of 'state police' in Nigeria will depend ultimately on the non-partisanship and effectiveness of those on whom the control is vested.

There is a common age long saying that " he who pays the piper,dictates the tune",as there is another saying that "he who wears the shoe, knows where it pinches'.

Following this logic it should go without saying that the direct representatives of the masses of Nigeria should be the ones to control the state police if we are not merely playing to the gallery and are really serious about arresting insecurity in Nigeria.There can be no two ways about it.

The direct representatives of the people are the traditional rulers,the religious leaders, the women leaders and the youth leaders.

The control of state police should be vested on these.

Vesting them on stats Governors all of whom are PARTISAN makes absolutely no sense.

No state governors are being kidnapped.No Senator is being kidnapped.

Those who are the direct victims of insecurity in Nigeria should be this to control the state police if we want insecurity to stop in Nigeria.. period.

State police establishment in a state should naturally establish linkages with other state police establishments in the other states of the same geopolitical zone so they could coordinate activities and collaborate effectively.

The state police establishments should further be decentralised to create local government police in all local government areas of the states and the local government police establishments decentralised to create community police in all communities in the local government areas.

The argument advanced above that the control of the state police should be vested on the traditional rulers, religious leaders, women leaders and youth leaders should extend to zonal police,local government police and community police.

EMPOWERING AND MONITORING TRADITIONAL RULERS AND INSTITUTIONS:

Many Nigerians, including some traditional Rulers themselves do not really appreciate what they represent to forces internal and external that seek or desire to perpetuate poverty, financial/ political oppression and intellectual as well as cultural dependency on Nigerian and African peoples.

There is no doubt that a traditional Ruler who is financially and political disempowered is like a man who is incapable of providing daily needs of life like food, clothing and shelter for his family.

His respect among the members of his family if any,hangs by the thread.

Traditional rulers should be empowered to become financially stable and to help generate employment for youths in their areas.

ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF WRONG ROLE MODELS IN THE SOCIETY

There is a saying that when the mother goat is chewing grass,the baby goat watches it's mother's jaws.

The kind of role models in society determine to a large extent the mind set of the people.

In Nigeria criminals,thieves,looters of public treasurers , bandits, terrorists, tribalists, immortal characters, most imaginable unpatriotic characters have taken over the centre stage and youths and up coming generations are looking up to them.

The history of our country is full of noble people who sacrificed everything for the good of the country but they are paid little or no attention.

All those who resisted the imposition of colonial rule in Nigeria have been forgotten.

Who talks about people like the indomitable King Jaja of Opobo(1821-1891).

Who talks of King Ovaremwen of Benin,who talks of Sultan Atahiru of Sokoto,or King Nana of Itsekiri,of King Koko and other kings of Nembe and so on and so forth.

Many of those who led Nigeria after independence and who fought for our independence like the great RT Hon Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe we all know about.

Nigeria has done a lot towards immortalising him.

The same with Chief Obafemi Awolowo,Sir Ahmadu Bello, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa etc but what about the Ijaw man who laid the foundation for Nigeria?

Ernest Sisei Ikoli (1893-1960).

What has our country done to immortalize him?

In recognition of the unequalled role he played towards laying foundation for the Nigerian nationhood and Independence in many aspects,I hereby recommend that we should at least name the National Assembly complex Abuja after him and that it be henceforth known as The Ernest Ikoli National Assembly Complex Abuja.

APPLICATION OF DRONES TECHNOLOGY AND EFFECTIVE NEWS OUTLETS LINKAGES

It has been suggested earlier on this paper for the establishment of special dedicated short wave Radio station and a Television Station for appropriately and effectively publishing and broadcasting security issues and for reportage of criminal and terrorist activities in real time .

This is a first component/couplet.

The second component/couplet is the urgent selection, recruitment, training and equipping of security personnel for all states,local government areas in Nigeria, that will be proficient in operation of drones that will be fitted with suitable cameras and other security features.

Their work shall be to use the drones to track and capture real time terrorist and other criminal activities where possible and upload/transmit same to the equally dedicated security website,radio and television stations for effective and widespread broadcast to the public both at home and our Diaspora and security agents so that the criminal could be apprehended.

NSCDC AND FRSC

Incidentally, there are two federal government agencies that can be urgently deepened and broadened in the immediate to help us all while the working for state police can effectively kick off.

Those agencies are the National Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC) and the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC).

It is proposed that traditional rulers from allover the country should impress on the federal government the need to urgently expand these two agencies (including the Marine police) at least ten fold so that the NSCDC can be speedily retrained , re-equipped and deployed effectively to all local government areas across the nation.The FRSC should also be deployed to effectively cover all major roads and it's counterpart in the marine sector likewise to our waterways.

They are to work in seamless synergy with the federal police and the state police when the latter comes on board.

Between the NSCDC , the police and local vigilantes,a special anti kidnapping group is recommended to be established and trained and equipped to mingle with members of the public as well as stationed and made to appear as attractive potential victims to kidnappers with the intension and expectation that they are kidnapped and thereby in close communication and partnership with the police etc, arrest and apprehend the kidnappers.

ALL BORDER COMMUNITIES MASSIVE DEVELOPMENT AND WATERTIGHT POLICING

All international borders of our country whether to chad,Niger, Cameroon,Benin Republic etc from where terrorists, bandits and other criminals sometimes infiltrate Nigeria and commit mayhem should be turned into spheres of prosperity within and without.

When the border communities are turned into spheres of prosperity through massive and appropriate and unprecedented investments to which the inhabitants are critical stakeholders and shareholders and infrastructural developments coupled with watertight security issues of infiltration of bandits and terrorists would be reduced to the barest minimal.

CORRECTING THE NARRATIVE OF SO-CALLED HERDERS/FARMERS CLASHES

The Qur'an narrates in sura 21:78-79:

"And remember David

And Solomon, when they gave

Judgement in the matter of the field

Into which the sheep of certain

People had strayed by night:

We did witness their judgement.

To Solomon we inspired the (right)

Understanding of the matter:to each(of them)

We gave judgment And Knowledge..."

The judgment applauded was that the blame was on the herders, and that the farmers were to be compensated for the damage to their crops by the sheep of the herders.

Now it should be borne in mind that this was a case where the sheep of the herders strayed into the farms of the farmer by night by mistake.

We can imagine what the judgement would have been if the sheep had been led by the herders to destroy the farmers crops by day deliberately.

In the case of Nigeria many herders deliberately lead their cattle to peoples farms and in some cases use cutlass to destroy the farmers crops and feed them directly and with the greatest impunity to their cattle.

I as well as millions of Nigerians and non Nigerians have watched these extreme acts of wickedness and economic sabotage posted on social media times without numbers.

And when the farmers protest or resist, they are slaughtered mercilessly.

So clearly, regarding the issue of what has commonly come to be known in our country Nigeria as "herders and farmers clashes",if truly we desire an end to this ,all those who see themselves as Muslims whether Fulani,Hausa,Igbo, Ijaw,Yoruba and what have you must listen to the lessons of the Qur'an, listen to the voice of truth,of natural justice,of equity and good conscience and condemn without reservation the acts of the herders men and situate the blame squarely where it belongs.

The truth is that what we often refer to as " herders and farmers clashes" are actually more appropriately referred to as ' herders aggression on farmers".

MINISTRY OF PROBES AND ACCOUNTABILITY

The alarming degree of corruption and looting of public treasuries, misappropriation of public resources, stealing etc and so on going on in Nigeria by those in authority and their collaborators are making some other non patriotic Nigerians to feel cheated and to seek other opportunities to corner their own share of the 'national cake' and the methods they have devised to do this are inevitably criminal, obnoxious and nefarious.

The astronomical figures of the amounts of monies being stolen as are reflected in numerous but extremely selective ongoing cases being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and it's sister agency,the ICPC are to say the least,most bizarre and makes honest hardworking people stagger and their heads swoon in disbelief and incredulity.

How can in a country where some people are being paid wages of less than N20,000(twenty thousand naira) monthly, another citizen can steal N200,000,000,000(two hundred billion naira) and the person is walking freely on the streets and sometimes even winning nominations to stand for elections to contest for political offices.

In a country where most professors and other lecturers in the universities are finding it difficult to meet their basic needs as parents from their salaries,law makers who were taught by them are fixing their own salaries and earning many times the salaries of those professors as well as cornering most of the contracts and fixing their wards in the best offices .

As a matter of fact,the degree of corruption in Nigeria today to say the least has gotten to a level where the monies and properties of government workers and political office holders should be assumed to be proceeds of corruption and stealing unless and until proved otherwise.

In 2002 at the Presidential Debate for the 2003 elections while I was the presidential candidate of the African Renaissance Party (ARP), I had advocated for the establishment of a full fledged Ministry of Probes and Accountability.( The EFCC and ICPC came on board the next year -2004).

I had further argued that all political office holders from the president to the councillors must not only declare all their assets publicly but must be required to provide full and open explanations of how those assets were acquired and earned and that where a public officer was not able or failed to give full and adequate explanation as to how his or her assets were acquired and their funds earned,that all such properties,assets and funds should be forfeited to government .

I am still of the same opinion.

MORAL REARMAMENT

From the beginning of time, immorality and insecurity have always been like Siamese twins.

Wherever you have immorality, insecurity must be found.

Immorality, promiscuity,drug abuse,hard drugs intake, drunkenness,etc,these vices are known breeders of criminality, banditry, and terrorism.

Breakdown of family values,broken homes,etc- all these are harbingers of criminality of different types.

Immorality is taking over Nigeria.

Our Universities that should be centers of learning and scientific breakthroughs and discoveries are becoming centers of all forms of immorality and secret cults and drugs abuse and fraudsters and from there trickles down the vices to our secondary schools and from there to our primary schools.

Movies that many cultures and climes use to promote civic responsibility are in our country used to promote immorality and lasciviousness and lawlessness and corruption.

Our Radio and TV stations have joined in the promotion of the dismantling of family values and godliness

There is an urgent need for moral rearmament in Nigeria from all sectors,all religions,all establishments,etc if we are to arrest the rot in the society and the strangulating insecurity.

JUSTICE AND EQUITY ACROSS BOARD IN ALL RAMIFICATIONS

The only true path to security and harmonious coexistence not only at this time in our country,but throughout the world at all times,is through ensuring justice and equity for all.

The Islamic faith, the Christian faith,Judaism, Buddhism's, and African Traditional Religions all preach the same path of justice and equity for sustainable peace and security.

In all circumstances,for all ethnic nationalities in Nigeria, regardless of their numerical strengths,for all religious adherents ,for all sexes ,for all ages,for all tribes,we must endeavour to stand by justice and equity.

What is good for the geese is equally good for the gander.

That is the sure path to sustainable peace and security and unity.

Unity is very desirable but it must be based on justice and equity.

Like His Excellency,Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu said:

"We Igbos want unity.But not the unity of Jonah in the belly of the whale.

We want the unity of man and woman,the type that breeds increase.

From 1960 when Nigeria attained Independence up till now,human rights abuses have been visited upon different peoples at different times.

Some more heinous than others.

All of them are equally reprehensible and condemnable.

In our country we sometimes hear that 'repentant bandits and terrorists 'are being or have been reintegrated back into society.

We sometimes hear that so so and so support have been given to so so and so IDP camps and what have you.

I for one have never heard of any serious government programs and initiatives aimed at and providing relief and empowerment for the victims of the bandits and terrorists who are being reintegrated back into society.

As a matter of fact I am not aware of any laws of Nigeria empowering the president and governors to pardon bandits and terrorists who have not been tried and convicted by courts of law as is happening left and right in Nigeria,but that is a subject for another day.

It is hereby advocated for the setting up of a NATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY ENDOWMENT FUND which should be used for various objectives including the resettlement of and rehabilitation of displaced families back to their homeland.

RECONCILIATION, REINTEGRATION, RECONSTRUCTION, RESTITUTION AND REPARATIONS

Nigerians are increasingly growing more divided against themselves by the day.

The coming 2027 elections have escalated the situation further in a world where rising tensions are becoming more threatening and even strong nations are bonding together and weaker nations are being invaded without any concerns for international laws and conventions.

The giant of Africa, Nigeria must find a way to begin the process of reconciliation, reintegration, reconstruction, restitution and Reparations for all her citizens to strengthen their sense of common identity and patriotism for their country.

This is important so we can become truly strong and able to play the expected role as the giant of Africa.

And use the experience gathered to lead the process of the reconciliation, reintegration and unification of the African continent and the global black race.

TRANSFORMING DESERTS INTO GARDENS

In many parts of the world and increasingly so, human ingenuity, determination, and through working in consonance with the natural order of things, people are turning deserts into gardens.

The late Pan-Africanist,Col. Muammar Gaddafi demonstrated it in Libya during his time.

In Egypt currently,Chinese Engineers and Agriculturalists are turning deserts into gardens.This phenomenon is being replicated in many places around the world and I make bold to say that nothing stops us from doing the same here in Nigeria.

Besides,one of the fallouts attendant with the phenomenal global warming which is in the flash floodings can be turned into advantages as we could channel the excess water witnessed in many parts of our country perennially into special reservoirs that we should create in many places and ways.

And the waters so channeled could be used in turning massive areas of our deserts into lush gardens full of foliage for our cattle amongst other crops and delicacies.

There is an argument that one of the reasons why Herdsmen have been pouring into Nigeria from some other west African countries is the desertification occuring in those areas and that the push for the middle belt which has led to the death of thousands of people and destruction of numerous communities and other parts of southern Nigeria is the search for foliage for the cattle.

The point is that nothing stops us from rejuvenating our deserts and turning them into massive endless lush gardens where millions of cattle can have their full of foliage and water without having to invade innocent farmers farmlands.

IMPLEMENTATION

There is a saying that says : Philosophers have analysed the world,what remains is to change it.

I do not think there is anything we can say regarding the issue of insecurity in Nigeria which has not been said before.

The bottom line is,is there the political will in Nigeria to deal with insecurity or not?

Only Time will tell.

CONCLUSION

THE BIAFRAN QUESTION: KEY TO AFRICAN UNIFICATION, DEVELOPMENT AND RENAISSANCE

In my opinion the leaders of Igboland including many of their governors , senators past and present are complicit in the activities and aspirations of Nnamdi Kanu and his IPOB, just as the elites of the Fulani including many of their governors and senators past and present are complicit in the activities of the Fulani Herdsmen. Equally,the elites of the south west including many of their governors past and present are complicit in the activities of Sunday Igboho.

What I wish to say hereby going forward is totally without prejudice to the ongoing appeal in the case of Nnamdi Kanu.

As far as I am concerned a lot of mistakes and even atrocities appear to have been committed and made here and there .

However no matter what mistakes or atrocities that may have been made or committed,let me say that I personally agree 100% with the grievance of Nnamdi Kanu on the issue of the gross marginalisation of Igbos in Nigeria since 1970 up till date, though I do not share in any way in the way he and his group would like to go about redressing the marginalisation and injustice.

As a matter of fact I stand to be corrected that the Igbos have contributed more than any other people towards the progress and development of Nigeria and deserve to at least be treated equally.

Before 1999 in order to address the justified grievance of the south west in Nigeria the major political parties had to zone their presidential tickets to the south west and President Olusegun Obasanjo had to contest against Chief Olu Falae.

What stops Nigeria from doing the same for Ndigbo in Nigeria today.

When it comes to the turn of the Igbos we started to hear a lot of absurd things like competency etc.

What makes the Igbo less competent than any other people in Nigeria,or in Africa or on earth for that matter?.

Besides if we understand what democracy really means,it is not the government of one person but that of the majority founded on consensus of progress and projects for national development.

Regarding the trial and sentencing of Nnamdi Kanu,I am not in a position to say if the trial was fair or not.

Igbos to my mind have hundreds if not thousands of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs),if they have no objections and find no fault in the trial and sentencing,all I can say is that a nation that finds it fit and appropriate to release bandits and terrorists who have murdered thousands of innocent Nigerians with whom they have no quarrel and reintegrated them into society should be able to find it in its logic to release Nnamdi Kanu and any other members of his IPOB who claim to be fighting for the restoration of Biafra where they say that they believe they would be treated fairly and not marginalized against.

This is not to say that I support the dismemberment of Nigeria or the restoration of a sovereign state of Biafra.

I am an unrepentant advocate for the unification of the entire African continent plus the global black race.

I do not have the reports on some of the atrocities said to have been committed by the IPOB and their affiliate organisations and if those reports are true there can never be any justification for such acts of wickedness but all the same we must move on.

We must find a way to find out exactly what happened, identify clear cases of human rights abuses that attended the activities of IPOB and work out compensation for all the victims. That is only fair,for injustice to one is injustice to all.

On the same vein ,we Nigerians need to look into our history at least from 1960 when we attained self rule till now to identify all cases of human rights abuses including the over three million Igbos and their brethren from eastern Nigeria who lost their lives from the pogrom in northern Nigeria and the civil war and find a way to pay some compensation or least acknowledge the injustice visited on them so we all can move forward with one spirit as equal citizens of one country.

In order words I advocate for all victims of human rights abuses and insecurity in Nigeria from the south east, south south,south west,north central (where I was born),north east and north west to be apologised to and if possible paid compensation to,after all it is the fundamental duty of government to protect lives and properties of all Nigerians.

Like I said earlier in this paper,if Nigeria our country is not able to find a way to amicably settle the Biafran question,she will never be able to stand up as a strong nation capable of defending it's citizens and interests.

And if Nigeria is not able to stand tall it will never be able to play her destined role as the giant of Africa and if she is not able to play her role as the giant and leader of Africa,then there is no hope for African unification, development and renaissance.

And if Africa does not unite then the black race is doomed to be underdogs forever.

The reconciliation of Nigeria with the Igbo question must begin with doing justice to the Igbos including removing all vestiges of marginalisation which in the present circumstances should begin with ensuring that the next president of Nigeria come 2027 is an Igbo person from the south east geopolitical zone of Nigeria.

United we stand: Divided we fall

Long live Nigeria.

Long live Africa.

By
Alhaji Yahaya Ndu
President, Peoples Movement For a New Nigeria (PMNN )
Director, Institute for African Renaissance Studies and Actualisation (IARSA),
Gregory University,Uturu, Nigeria.

Disclaimer: "The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect ModernGhana official position. ModernGhana will not be responsible or liable for any inaccurate or incorrect statements in the contributions or columns here."

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