Former presidential aide, Doyin Okupe, has advised the National Security Adviser, Maj-Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd.) on how to put an end to banditry, insurgency and kidnapping in the country.
Okupe said covering banditry, kidnapping and insurgency affected areas with satellite imaging would put an end to the menace.
He gave the advice on Friday in an article titled “Ending Banditry, Kidnapping and Insurgency In Nigeria. Part II.”
OKupe’s advice is coming a day after Monguno, at a press briefing said the Federal Government will not dialogue or negotiate with bandits and terrorists.
Monguno said the government will deal with the issue by “using all the assets – military assets, intelligence assets to eliminate these people.”
The 68-year old commended Monguno for giving Nigerians some measure of hope in “highly hope-inspiring press briefing.”
Okupe “I want to publicly commend the NSA, Rtd General Monguno for his brilliant and highly hope-inspiring press briefing of yesterday 11th March 2021.
“For once and for the first time, someone, though unelected, took charge and gave the Nigerian citizens some measure of hope.
“Ordinarily, as a critic of the administration, I should say “all he did was 2 make promises and that we have had too many unfulfilled promises both from this administration and those before it. But at the prevailing level of pervasive insecurity in the country, “Promises” may just suffice.
“He said the security challenges will be dealt with in “few weeks.” We have lived with these challenges for 10 years, so even if the government can do it in “few months” instead of the “few weeks” promised, it will still be accepted and appreciated.
“Personally, watching the NSA closely yesterday and looking beyond what he was saying, I saw some measure of commitment and veiled anger within him and this makes me believe him. But I may be wrong. However, I will like to suggest the following additional measures to the NSA.
“Spend some money on 24 hrs satellite imaging and coverage of areas most affected by these challenges.
“Increase ground intelligence and paid local intelligence monitors all over these areas.
“Fund Police formations and tactical units in these areas. Increase force deplorability and create standby joint crack security teams in each local government area in the affected states.
“In addition to State Police Commissioners working with military authorities, appoint military commanders in each state to jointly coordinate security within each state, with the state police Commissioners.
“It takes no less than 1hr for any serious school kidnapping to be executed. It also takes travelling fairly long distances and noticeable mass movements before bandits arrive at their “safe havens” in the forests.
“Therefore, after serious fortification of rapid response capabilities and adequate funding have been provided, any state where kidnapping is successfully executed, the Commissioner of Police and the military Commanders shall be held responsible.
“Both shall be relieved of their posts immediately and downgraded by two steps in terms of their hierarchy within the force as punishment for negligence and dereliction of duty. I believe overcoming Banditry, Kidnapping especially of school children and even Insurgency are achievable.
“Central to this achievement will be serious financial commitments to acquire the required capabilities and capacities to overcome these challenges. May the Almighty God bless our united endeavours in this period.”