Prominent Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has pointed accusing fingers towards the Nigerian Military as being responsible for the continued spate of insecurity in the North.
The former military officer said the Nigerian military is sabotaging the war against insecurity in the northern part of the country as they are working with the bandits instead of flushing them out.
Speaking to Arise TV Morning Show on Wednesday, June 23, 2021, he alleged that security forces have turned the issue of insecurity in Nigeria into a cash cow, insisting that it is not true that the terrorist who have held the country, especially the north hostage cannot be caught.
Buttressing his point, he said a look at the sophisticated weaponry the bandits boast of is enough proof that there are “a lot of bad elements” among the military that is helping the bandits acquire them. He, therefore, called for an overhaul of the country’s entire security architecture.
“These bandits, if you don’t know, are cooperating with a lot of bad elements in our security system. This is a business. So many people are involved, you’ll be so surprised.
“They were caught in Zamfara; they were caught everywhere, how do these big weapons cross our borders? How can these big weapons cross our borders and get into the forest without the cooperation of some bad element of the security operatives assisting them? It’s not possible. If I give you the same amount of guns can you take it to the UK? You can’t because the security is alert.
“Part of fighting this banditry is to overhaul our security system.”
In its reaction, the Nigerian Army responded through its Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu.
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Their statement condemned the allegation leveled on them by the outspoken cleric, insisting that the Nigerian Army has remained professional in their conduct with dealing with matters of insecurity.
“The sweeping allegation peddled by the scholar is not only sad and unfortunate but a calculated attempt to denigrate the Nigerian military and undermine the sacrifices of our patriotic troops, who are working tirelessly to restore peace and stability across the country.
“It is essential to remind ourselves that this same military, being accused of connivance, are the ones who recently put their lives on the line to rescue abductees of the Government Secondary School, Birnin Yawuri from kidnappers.
“While the NA will not attempt to excuse the possibility of black sheep amongst its fold, it must be stated unambiguously that it will not condone any form of sabotage or aiding and assisting the enemy by any personnel, as provisions for dealing decisively with such acts are crystallized in Section 45 (1) of the Armed Forces Act CAP A 20 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
“It must also be pointed out, that while the military is very much receptive to constructive criticism, it should not be perceived as a gateway for derogatory comments that have the potential to embolden criminals. It is also necessary to reiterate that patriotism must be taken to a trajectory where subversive conversations on the state are brought to the barest minimum.
“Opinion leaders are enjoined to demonstrate patriotism in building the peace, rather than being agents of destabilization, thereby aggravating the current security challenges facing the nation.
“The NA wishes to reassure law-abiding citizens, that troops will continue to conduct themselves professionally in consonance with the code of conduct guiding our operations in all combat engagements, in line with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and global best practice.
“Citizens are enjoined to continue to support military operations by providing useful information to defense and security agencies and together we shall rid our society of these criminal elements.”
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