‘Deal With Bandits Decisively’: Ex-Army Officers Task Incoming Govt On Security
A retired director of Army Legal Services, Colonel Yomi Dare, has implored the newly elected government to implement strategic measures to tackle the issues surrounding banditry and insecurity.
Nine years ago, Boko Haram abducted 276 schoolgirls from their dormitory in Chibok, Borno State. To date, 98 of the girls are still in captivity.
Speaking on Friday’s edition of Channels Television’s breakfast show, Sunrise Daily, Dare advised the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, to do less rhetoric and take more practical steps to ensure that banditry is dealt with.
“Do a change of strategy such that any case of kidnapping or banditry that is reported should be dealt with decisively and such response must be sustained thoroughly,” he advised the new government.
The retired colonel noted that synergy is an important factor of motivation within the armed forces to carry out its duties of tackling insecurity.
“There must be increased synergy between the armed forces and especially the DSS because they are responsible for collating intelligence and that will feed the armed forces, and there is also the need for them to adopt a strategy whereby there will be good logistics,” he said.
“Because for the troops, they feed, they breathe on logistics. There must be proper logistics to take care of the troops. Food must be well supplied, weapons must be supplied, and their morale; they have to boost their morale with the truth”
The colonel also commended governors for the initiative of setting up the Ministry of internal affairs to ensure synergy within the armed forces. He also encouraged community policing adding that it is no longer business as usual.
Brigadier General Jonathan Temlong (rtd.), who also appeared on the show, urged the incoming government to carry out an all-encompassing analysis of the country’s security architecture.
“There is a need for a holistic security sector reform and value reorientation that will take into consideration the current trends, the future and technology as a cost multiplier,” he said.
Temlong stated that there is a need for an improvement of military personnel quality and the criminal justice system.
“You need to look at the quality of the personnel that are they, their capability and their capacity to handle incoming technology,” the retired general said.
“Look at the reforms of the Ministry of Defence and the armed forces. You have to look at more of the criminal justice reform system. Criminals moving up and down in the country are the ones spoiling the insecurity that is going on. It is important that we carry out holistic reforms.”
