Former African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to disclose those behind the persistent insecurity across Nigeria, describing such action as vital to restoring peace.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Kachikwu acknowledged that the Tinubu administration inherited the security crisis but stressed that the President must go further by “naming and shaming” individuals and groups driving violence nationwide.
He also urged the government to remove commercial interests from the fight against insurgency and prosecute the conflict with full seriousness.
Alarmed by the rising cases of killings, kidnappings, banditry, and illegal occupation of communities, Kachikwu said Nigerians deserve transparency on the forces destabilising the nation.
“Four presidents have come before you since this war started, and none of them told us the truth about what is really going on,” he said. “Mr. President, the time has come for us all to know our enemies and their motives. Is this a religious or political war? Who are the sponsors?”
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He noted that citizens are tired of recurring threats to expose those behind terrorism, stressing that the government owes the public a duty to identify and prosecute the perpetrators of a conflict that has claimed countless lives and drained billions of dollars in public funds.
Kachikwu expressed confidence that Nigerians are willing to confront the nation’s enemies but emphasised the need for transparency.
While commending the sacrifices of security agencies, he warned that soldiers’ morale is undermined when a few individuals profit from defence contracts while troops risk their lives on the frontlines.
“We must also remove the business from this war and face the business of war,” he said.
He advised the new Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, to deploy his experience to curb the rising insecurity. Kachikwu also urged Nigerians across political divides to unite in confronting the threat.
“We must rise up as Nigerians to fight the war against insecurity. This is a war we must win and regain our enviable position in the comity of nations,” he added.
