A group, Coalition of North Central Elders, has joined calls on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately sack the nation’s service chiefs.
In a Monday statement signed by their National Chairman, Engr Usman Bida and National Secretary, Barr Moses Okudu, the group said the service chiefs have not shown capacity to tackle the challenges effectively.
The statement read, “The entire Management and members of Coalition of North Central Elders, wish to condemn in the most strongest term the unabated state of insecurity in our region in particular and Nigeria at large.
“We join other well-meaning Nigerians to call on Mr President to immediately restructure the current security architecture in the country with the sacking of the Service Chiefs as the first steps.
“Nigerians are tired of rhetorics and promises of the security situation getting better.
“We are saddened that there is no state in the North Central that is free from terrorists’ attacks or that has not had its own fair share of the mindless killing of innocent citizens one time or the other, a region that was the most peaceful in the entire north.
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“When we were about to recover from the arrest of over 400 terrorists with dangerous weapons in Toto Local Government of Nasarawa by the military which was quite commendable, we are taken aback, with the recent intelligence reports released by Nigerian Customs Service, of the presence of Boko Haram elements in Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and some local government areas in Nasarawa and Niger states. This is a complete failure of intelligence.
“As it stands today, the well-meaning citizens of North Central and Nigeria, are frightened by this information. Some parts of Nasarawa, Niger and Kogi states are no-go areas because of the activities of these terrorists that kill, kidnap, and rob people at will as if we are in a Banana republic. “In Niger State, people are killed on a daily basis, women are raped and children killed by this terrorist group.
“We voted for President Muhammed Buhari because of his vast experience in security and integrity and we expect the best from him.
“Mr President, we are with you, and will always be, but we feel your continued retention of the Service Chiefs for the last five years running is totally against the wishes of Nigerian people given that it is causing a lot of low morale and bad work zeal in the entire Armed Forces, we appeal that you act now.
“Mr President sir, four officers cannot be more experienced than thousands of the officers we have in the Armed Forces. It is on this note that we appeal to you to as a matter of urgency and national importance sack them from office.”