Kwankwaso to Tinubu: Answer Your Name as Commander-in-Chief, Tackle Insecurity

•POS operators aiding terrorists, kidnapping, declares General Laka

•Links terrorism to wave of coups in W’Africa 

•Bandits attack Wawa community in Niger

Linus Aleke in Abuja, Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano and Laleye Dipo in Minna

Former Governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, has challenged President Bola Tinubu to live up to his role as Commander-in-chief of the armed and tackle all forms of insecurity across the country.

Addressing a gathering in Kano, yesterday, Kwankwaso slammed Tinubu, saying his government lacks the political will to tackle the current spate of insecurity.

The former presidential candidate of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) said, “President Tinubu should rise to the occasion and answer his Commander-in-Chief name to tackle the challenge of insecurity.”

According to him, many Nigerians are being killed innocently and their killers go away with their atrocities as if nothing happened.

“The government must apologise to Nigerians for their laxity in the fight against insecurity,” Kwankwaso said.

He maintained that the Nigerian military remained one of the most gallant that had fought in several global wars, like Dafur, Liberia, and many other places.

He added that the government was not doing what it was supposed to do to enable the military to fight gallantly.

Kwankwaso, stated, “When I was defence minister, I knew the strength of the Nigerian military. They are courageous. We need some semblance of political will to make them do the needful.

“Historically, the Nigerian military was the best that served across the globe and not only did well but came out with flying colours as the best. President Tinubu should rise to the occasion and equip them with all they require to change the narrative.”

Kwankwaso said should he become the president of the Nigeria in 2027, he would ensure the recruitment of over one million military personnel.

He said any government that failed to protect life and property had woefully failed and had no business being in government.

He stated that the federal government must work an extra time to incorporate the likes of the Kano Neighbourhood Security Network into the military.

POS Operators Are Aiding Terrorists, Kidnapping in Nigeria, Declares Gen. Laka

National Coordinator of National Counter Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser (NCTC-ONSA), Major General Adamu Laka, has disclosed that Point of Sale (POS) operators were aiding terrorist and kidnapping activities in Nigeria.

He also linked the growing incidence of transnational organised crime and terrorism to the wave of military coups in West Africa and the broader Sahel region.

Speaking at a media parley with journalists in Abuja, Laka expressed concern that some unscrupulous individuals were now orchestrating their own kidnappings using Artificial Intelligence (AI).

He stated that such criminals deployed voice-cloning technology to impersonate victims and extort money from wealthy parents or relatives.

The national coordinator further explained that certain security and intelligence details were deliberately withheld from the public, even after successful operations, in order to prevent the compromise of future missions.

Decrying the role of POS operators in facilitating ransom payments, Laka said, “Another major challenge we face is the involvement of POS operators. In many cases, ransom payments are transferred by victims directly to POS operators at the instruction of terrorists.

“The kidnappers provide the POS operators’ account details, after which the money is transferred and subsequently withdrawn by the criminals. However, we are addressing this issue. We are doing our best and we will not relent.”

On the surge in terrorist activities following military coups in the sub-region, Laka observed that the security situation had shown signs of improvement towards the end of 2023, but deteriorated after the coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

According to him, terrorist groups operate across borders within the Sahel, making regional cooperation critical.

He stressed that Nigeria must assume a leadership role in West Africa and the Sahel to confront the threat, stating that as long as neighbouring countries continue to face insecurity, Nigeria would remain vulnerable.

He added that Nigeria’s economic strength also made it a prime target.

“Nigeria is the richest country in West Africa. It is one of the few countries where kidnappers can demand N100 million and receive it. As a result, these groups come into the country to source funds to sustain their operations across the region,” he said.

Laka acknowledged the enormity of the task facing the country’s security forces, but reaffirmed their commitment. He appealed to Nigerians to remain supportive, saying, “It is a difficult task, but the security agencies are doing their best. We need Nigerians to believe in us.”

Bandits Attack Wawa Community in Niger

Barely 24 hours after pupils, students and teachers of St Mary’s Catholic School were rescued from bandits in Wawa town of Borgu Local Government Area, Niger State, bandits were reported to have attacked the town again.

The bandits, in their numbers, clutching AK47 rifles during the raid, also sacked the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) security post.

A stationary vehicle of the corps was said to have been hit by several bullets while a G3 rifle and some personal effects of the operatives, including clothes and some cash, were taken away by the marauders.

The operation by the bandits, according to reports, lasted more than one hour before security men intervened.

A community leader, who spoke anonymously, said the incident occurred about 12.30am on Monday.

The community leader, however, said no life was lost, and added that there was panic all over the town.