A former Lagos State governorship candidate, Owolabi Salis, has called on President Bola Tinubu to adopt an urgent and aggressive strategy to confront Nigeria’s escalating insecurity, warning that the country must not wait until “dare-devil bandits attack the Presidential Villa” before taking decisive action.
Salis issued the warning in a statement on Monday in Abuja, noting that the recent surge in abductions and terror attacks showed that criminal groups had become increasingly emboldened, particularly with the onset of the dry season, which security analysts say often fuels heightened militant activities.
“We should not wait until these dare-devil bandits overrun the country or even attack the Presidential Villa and the strategic legislative bloc before it dawns on us that they really mean business,” he said.
He urged Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima to draw inspiration from the late Chadian President Idriss Déby, who was known for personally leading offensives against insurgents. Salis clarified that he was not advocating that the President or Vice President go to the battlefield, but rather that they adopt Déby’s determined and focused approach to combating terrorism.
He stressed the need to build Nigeria into a true military superpower capable of deterring internal threats and commanding global respect. According to him, the armed forces must develop “sufficient numerical superiority” and the resilience required to respond effectively to complex and prolonged threats.
Salis also criticised the current welfare structure for security personnel, saying inadequate remuneration continued to weaken morale and discourage capable recruits.
“Meaningful efforts also need to be made not only to boost the sagging morale of the existing fighting force, but also to attract a massive flow of prospective entrants, by reviewing their meagre earnings to a meaningful proportion commensurate with the life-saving nature of their job,” he said.
READ ALSO: Edo Lawmakers Call for Urgent Action on Growing Insecurity
He referenced a recent attack in which a senior military officer was killed by ISWAP militants, describing the incident as a national embarrassment that exposed the vulnerabilities of Nigeria’s defence system.
“It was particularly horrible that the whole army of a nation which should constitute a terrific dread-nought terror to enemies… had to fight itself to a frightful escape rather than formidably stand up to rout the bandits,” he lamented.
Salis said the death of the senior officer left him deeply troubled, describing it as “a monstrous nightmare” and expressing sympathy for the grieving family.
His warning comes a day after the release of 100 pupils abducted from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Niger State. The victims were part of 315 persons—303 students and 12 teachers—kidnapped during a three-hour raid on November 21, one of the largest school abductions since the 2014 Chibok incident.
Although 50 students escaped within the first 24 hours, 265 remained in captivity until a breakthrough led to the release of 100 on Sunday. The attack has heightened public anxiety and renewed calls for a more proactive and comprehensive national security strategy—concerns that align with the issues raised by Salis.