Ex- Military Leader, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (Rtd.)
The high rate of insecurity in Nigeria has led to over 80,000 deaths , close to 3 million people in internally displaced camps and the existence of more than 6 million ammunitions in illegal circulation in Nigeria,according to the former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd.).
The former Nigerian military leader who spoke in his capacity as The National Peace Commitee,(NPC) Chairman at a dialogue session of the Committee with key stakeholders in Abuja yesterdayexpressed concern that the proliferation of all calibre of weapons may tear the country apart unless the situation was arrested urgently.
The ex-military Head of State also gave an assessment of the security situation, saying that the security forces are not just over stretched but under strength and funded adding that the security agencies can perform better with more sophisticated weapons, equipment and more funding.
“We believe Nigeria must find a way out of these problems. Our hope is that perhaps among us, by listening to your different perspectives, we can begin to build up confidence among our people so that we can hold together.
‘’So our hope is that we shall not only share our collective lamentations about the current situation, bit propose some concrete suggestions that can point the way forward, suggestions that can inspire more confidence among our people and ensure that our country remains one,” he said.
He said the challenges facing the country is not only a security issue in the narrow sense of the military definition but that it has assumed an all encompassing nature.
Abubakar listed these challenges to include, the Boko Haram insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, increasing poverty, the calls for balkanization of the country from different quarters, the threat of hunger arising from insecurity that farmers have faced and continue to face, the increasing sense of collective despair and despondency among the populace
He said that President Muhammadu Buhari was aware of the meeting and that he supported it, adding that the expectation is that the meeting will find out what are the causes of the conflict and how to mitigate them.
The former military leader welcomed the stakeholders which included traditional rulers, the Ekiti State governor and chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Kayode Fayemi, Plateau State governor and chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, Simon Lalong, religious leaders, military, police and other security agencies.
