…’Nigeria needs any available help’ – Security experts
Some concerned Nigerians have expressed doubts about the willingness of the Federal Government to embrace the offer by the United States government to help and identify the sponsors of Boko Haram, which has waged an insurgency war on Nigeria in the last 12 years.
Some security experts, former diplomats, and leaders of some socio-cultural/civil society organisations in the country have said embracing the proposal was the best option for the country at this point, but were skeptical about President Buhari’s disposition to the offer.
Recall that the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, had during a round-table on U.S.-Nigeria military cooperation with journalists in Abuja, last Monday night, declared that her country was very eager to partner with Nigeria on identifying Boko Haram sponsors.
A former Assistant Director of the Department of State Services, (DSS), Dennis Amachree, asserted that the U.S. had been positively disposed to supporting Nigeria, especially in the fight against terrorism, noting that the question was whether the Federal Government would embrace the current gesture.
In a recent interview, the spokesman of Arewa Consultative Forum, (ACF), Emmanuel Yawe, noted that the time has come for the government to swallow its pride and cooperate with the American government to expose those behind the terrorism and banditry that have nearly torn the nation apart.
According to him, the offer by the U.S. government to assist Nigeria in finding solutions to the current insecurity by exposing those behind it would go a long way in bringing an end to the challenges.
“We are in a desperate situation in Nigeria today. We should accept the American offer and allow them to help us out of this critical situation”, he stated
A former Secretary-General of ACF, Elder Anthony Sani, also said that the ability of the American government to confront and defeat terrorism was not in doubt, adding that, “the U.S. has done this in the past by not only exposing those behind terrorism but also fighting them”.
The ACF chieftain noted that sharing of intelligence between and among nations could go a long way “in improving the efforts to end the menace of terrorism that is now a global phenomenon”.
On his part, the National Publicity Secretary of apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Alex Chiedozie Ogbonnia, in Enugu, said that with rising insecurity, the country needs as much collaboration as possible to curb it. He stated that current developments were indications that Nigeria’s security forces could no longer handle the security of the nation.
Also, a former President General of Aka Ikenga, Chief Goddy Uwazuruike, said he was worried that the Federal Government might ignore the offer.
He stated that the efforts to curb insecurity in the nation had not materialised because of insincerity, stressing that the government had continued to neglect offers for assistance and information on crimes, especially those involving certain elements in the country.
Leaders of two prominent Yoruba socio-political organisations, the Afenifere and Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) also doubted the readiness of the Federal Government to embrace the proposal by the U.S. government.
While the chairman of Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, said it was not necessary for the American government to waste its time and resources to help Nigeria identify sponsors of Boko Haram, Secretary-General of YCE, Dr. Kunle Olajide, said since the government has obviously failed and lacks the political will to apprehend the faces behind Boko Haram, there was nothing bad if any country within the international community offers to help us address the situation.
The YCE scribe said there was a need for foreign intervention in Nigeria’s security situation now because the incumbent government had severally told Nigerians that it has the dossier of all the sponsors of Boko Haram and that it would soon prosecute them but nothing is happening.
