The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) has expressed serious concerns over President Bola Tinubu's administration's approach to addressing Nigeria's worsening security challenges, describing the current strategy as "worrisome."
In a communiqué issued after an emergency meeting in Abuja on Thursday, the group emphasized that the current security approach is placing undue pressure on the military and called on President Tinubu and the National Assembly to fulfill their constitutional responsibility of protecting Nigerian citizens.
Key Recommendations for Security Improvement
The communiqué, signed by representatives from various regional groups including Oba Oladipo Olaitan (Afenifere), Dr. Bitrus Pogu (Middle Belt Forum), Senator John Azuta-Mbata (Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide), and Ambassador Godknows Igali (PANDEF), outlined several recommendations to address the security crisis.
SMBLF recommended that police officers below the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police should be deployed to their states of origin to enhance policing effectiveness. The group also urged state governments to take immediate steps to ensure citizen security through mechanisms similar to the Amotekun South West Security Network.
"The Federal Government of Nigeria and particularly the National Assembly must now accept their failure to provide the most fundamental security of life and property across the country," the statement read, highlighting the "impunity of Fulani terrorists and their foreign collaborators wrecking genocidal attacks on indigenous communities across the nation and particularly in the Middle Belt region."
Rivers State Situation
The forum also addressed the political situation in Rivers State, describing any appointments into state agencies and local governments by the military administrator as illegal. SMBLF called for the immediate restoration of normal democratic governance in the state and urged the National Assembly to uphold its oversight responsibilities "with dignity and without compromise."
The group's statement comes amid escalating security concerns across Nigeria, with particular emphasis on the ongoing violence in Benue State and other parts of the Middle Belt region.
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