Cynthia Ezegwu
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Mr. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has urged the Service Chiefs to intensify their operations against insurgents and other violent criminals to restore public confidence in Nigeria’s security architecture.
Oyintiloye made the call in a statement issued on Sunday in Osogbo, saying that while the capacity of security agencies to crush bandits and insurgents was not in doubt, more decisive action was needed to end the killings across the country.
He expressed concern over the resurgence of violent attacks in parts of Kwara, Borno, Zamfara, and Niger States, noting that many Nigerians were living in fear despite the ongoing efforts of the security forces.
“There is no doubt that the Service Chiefs are doing their best to stop the killings by the bandits, but they need to be more ruthless with them until they put an end to insurgency in our land,” Oyintiloye said.
The former lawmaker also called on the heads of security agencies to prevent infiltration of their ranks by criminal elements and to make better use of human and material resources available to them.
“I will also urge them to look inward and fish out those who might be working against their relentless efforts to crush the activities of the terrorists in the country completely. This is very important to restore public confidence in the security agencies,” he added.
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Oyintiloye further advocated for stronger collaboration with local security networks and communities to enhance intelligence gathering, stressing that residents’ participation was key to winning the fight against insecurity.
He also urged the military and other security agencies to target the financiers of terrorist groups, saying that cutting off funding sources would weaken their operations.
Commending President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly for their continued support and budgetary allocations to the defence sector, Oyintiloye expressed optimism that with the cooperation of all stakeholders, Nigeria would eventually overcome its security challenges.
Nigeria continues to grapple with persistent insecurity despite ongoing military operations and increased government investment in the defence sector. In recent months, a surge in kidnappings and killings by suspected bandits across several northern states has reignited public concern over the country’s security situation.