Nigeria

Insecurity: Senate says Nigerian Army is overwhelmed

Monday, November 16, 2020 at 10:41 PM by Kess Ewubare

- Senator Ali Ndume has explained why the Nigerian Army is overwhelmed by the internal security situation

- Ndume said the army lacks the manpower to maintain security across Nigeria

- The lawmaker raised concerns over the spate of kidnappings on the Kaduna-Abuja road

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The Nigerian Senate has said the Nigerian Army is overwhelmed by the security situation in the country because its personnel have been overstretched in the provision of internal security.

Senator Ali Ndume made the statement on Monday, November 16, during his visit to various army formations in Kaduna state, Vanguard reported.

Insecurity: Senate says Nigerian Army is overwhelmed — Nigerian Soldiers stand next to a military van in Maiduguri, in the northeast of the country. Photo by Audu Marte.
Source: Getty Images

The lawmaker who serves as the chairman Senate committee on the army pointed out that constitutionally, the army should not be involved in civil security arrangements.

Ndume said:

“The Army is overwhelmed. Imagine they operate in about 33 to 34 states across Nigeria. They’re very overstretched. They don’t have the number. The Army we used to know is very different from the Army of today. But we are hoping that things will get better."

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The senator urged the army to go after bandits and kidnappers operating along the Kaduna-Abuja road.

He said the security situation on the road is becoming worrisome.

Meanwhile, the raid against insurgents in the northeastern part of Nigeria has yielded a positive result with the arrest of some manufacturers of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

This success was revealed by the Nigerian Defence Headquarters in a statement obtained on Sunday, by Legit.ng.

In the statement signed by Brigadier General Benard Onyeuko, many members of the Boko Haram were also neutralised in the raid carried out by the troops of Operation Fire Ball.

In another news, the Borno state governor, Babagana Zulum, has said that his government will not succumb to any threats or sabotage towards the realisation of its 25-year development and 10-year strategic transformation initiatives.

The governor said the programmes were in the overall interest of the Borno people. He said that the proposed development plan is all-inclusive with a strategic vision and mission for proper implementation by all the local, national, and international stakeholders in the state.