The Labour Party 2023 vice presidential candidate, Yusuf Datti Baba Ahmed, has faulted President Bola Tinubu nationwide security emergency, saying the Federal Government failed to address the root causes of insecurity.
Baba Ahmed made the remark on Thursday during an interview on Arise News, where he argued that the Federal Government misplaced priority by focusing on mass recruitment into security agencies instead of tackling corruption within the system.
President Tinubu had recently declared a security emergency following rising cases of banditry, kidnappings and rural attacks across the country. He also ordered the Armed Forces and the Nigeria Police Force to recruit thousands of personnel, including twenty thousand new police officers.
However, Baba Ahmed said insecurity does not persist because of a shortage of personnel but due to corruption and political interference that weaken security institutions.
He questioned how much of the huge security budget is actually deployed to fight crime and how much is diverted for personal and political interests.
According to him, with proper reforms and without political interference, the Nigeria Police Force has the capacity to tackle banditry and terrorism without heavy reliance on the military.
Baba Ahmed also criticised the President advisory urging state governments to reconsider the establishment of boarding schools in remote or insecure areas.
The advisory followed recent mass abductions of students and teachers in Niger, Kebbi and other states.
Describing the directive as dangerous, he warned that discouraging educational development in rural communities would embolden criminals and slow national growth.
He added that the country should be expanding access to education rather than restricting it, noting that teachers and students already operate under severe pressure in high risk areas.
