The revelation by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, that more than half of the borders in Nigeria’s north-east and north-west are unprotected has been deemed alarming and worrying by Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation.
This was stated in a statement that the group’s National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, signed and made public on Monday.
The group claimed that unmanned borders constituted a significant threat to the security of Nigerians and revealed a lack of commitment to addressing the problem.
Afenifere expressed sadness that the government has not yet taken the appropriate action on what the CDS regarded “a main source of criminality and violent crimes in those sections of the country” less than a year after President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration came to an end.
Our borders are mostly unmanned, Irabor claimed at a speech at the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs in Lagos, according to a statement from Afenifere’s spokesman.
He also cited the CDS as saying that 137 of the country’s 261 borders in the north-east and north-west are unsecured and that these porous borders are what allow terrorists from neighbouring countries to enter Nigeria with ease.
“As we all know, the administration has less than one year to wind up. What have the security agencies been doing about the vast unmanned borders and what has the government been doing for insecurity to keep rising as its years in the saddle increase?” Afenifere asked.
The pan-Yoruba organisation questioned whether or not the nation’s frontiers had been unguarded always.
If Buhari’s pledge to “guarantee that the 2023 general elections are safe and secure for all Nigerians,” is to be kept, Afenifere said that the government must do more.
The group also brought up the remarks of state governors, who he claimed told the president that the country’s north-western area might not host elections due to the region’s escalating security issues.
The government, according to Ajayi, should use technology and the great majority of young people to guard the porous borders, and state governments should be permitted to set up their own police.
“Worth mentioning also is Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s disclosure that bandits are setting up a parallel government in the state.
“All these and more are reasons why Nigerians are very worried about the country’s security situation and the chances of the President’s promise to end insecurity soon coming to fruition.
“The reality on the ground does not give people reasons to be so assured—much as they would want to be so optimistic.”
“Doing so would reduce unemployment and enhance security in the country.
“As a lasting solution to Nigeria’s myriad problems, the government should set in motion the machinery for restructuring,” he added.
