Garba Maidoki, senator representing Kebbi south, has called for an increase in troop strength and funding for the military to effectively tackle insecurity across the country.
Maidoki spoke during plenary on Wednesday while making a personal explanation under order 42 of the senate rules.
The senator said security should take precedence over infrastructure development if citizens are forced to flee their communities.
“Last time, we agreed that the funding for the military… this is the budget period. I told you if you give me school today and I run away from that school, it’s of no use to me,” Maidoki said.
“If you give me a road and I run away from that place, the road is not useful to me. What I want is I want to be secured. I want my people to be secured.”
He commended the military for its efforts but said it is overstretched.
Maidoki also disclosed that he recently lost his brother to the insecurity crisis.
“The army is doing very well, sir. But they are understaffed,” he said.
“Three days ago, I lost my own brother, who is a warrant officer in this insurgency; he died fighting this banditry. And I’m proud of him.”
The lawmaker said Nigeria’s current troop strength is inadequate to confront banditry nationwide.
“But if we are not able to increase the boots of soldiers that will man this country, 230,000 soldiers as at 2025 will not do anything in this banditry issue,” Maidoki said.
He questioned the prolonged nature of the fight against banditry.
“There is no way we will be fighting banditry for 20 years. How long do we want to continue with this problem?” Maidoki asked.
The lawmaker urged the senate to prioritise military funding in the upcoming budget.
“Let’s put enough resources; the budget is coming here, let’s put money for the army,” he said.
”Let’s take money from whatever source possible, and fund the military and fund them well so that this thing can finish within this year. We don’t want this thing to exceed this year.”
Senate President Godswill Akpabio expressed support for the senator’s position.
“I want to thank you for your very strong stance and to say that we in the senate are with you. We share the same opinion. We have an opinion that this banditry should end,” Akpabio said.
“In fact, on the 1st of January, my prayer to God, which I spread to the nation, was that the banditry and insurgency should end this year.”
“By the grace of God, in 2026, we will not see our end, but rather we shall see the end of 2026 and the end of banditry. That’s our prayer.”
He acknowledged public frustration over insecurity and explained the operational challenges facing security forces.
“I understand the anger. There are a lot of things involved. We cannot have military barracks in every village in Nigeria. The country is very vast,” Akpabio said.
“So, they go for soft targets. And when they go, they cause massive damage. And by the time we move there, it will have become reactionary.”
(TheCable)
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