Former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to match his declaration of a security emergency with decisive military action against terrorist groups operating in the North-East.
Ndume made the call in a statement on Sunday following the recent killing of more than 50 residents of Ngoshe in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State and the abduction of over 300 women and children by Boko Haram insurgents.
The senator representing Borno South urged the Nigerian military to carry out sustained clearance operations in key terrorist strongholds, including the Lake Chad region, Sambisa Forest, and the Mandara Mountains.
He stressed that the government must back its emergency declaration with coordinated and consistent attacks on insurgent hideouts to dismantle their operational networks.
According to Ndume, the recent massacre in Ngoshe was a well-coordinated attack carried out by insurgents from the Mandara Mountains with support from fighters based in Sambisa Forest and the Lake Chad region.
“Government should walk its talk on emergency by engaging in coordinated and sustainable attacks on the targets, especially in the North-East,” he said.
Ndume also urged President Tinubu to regularly brief Nigerians on the government’s efforts to tackle insurgency and banditry across the northern regions.
He suggested the establishment of a situation room in the Presidential Villa where the President could monitor security developments and communicate directly with citizens.
The former Senate Chief Whip further renewed his call for the frontloading of security budgets to accelerate the procurement of weapons and ammunition for the armed forces.
He noted that the current allocation to the Nigerian Army represents less than 10 percent of the national budget and argued that increased funding is necessary to strengthen the military’s capacity to combat insurgency effectively.
