Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, a former vice-presidential candidate, has sharply criticized President Bola Tinubu’s recent security strategy. Baba-Ahmed described the plan as ‘a joke,’ claiming it fails to address the underlying causes of insecurity across the nation.
During an interview on Arise News, Baba-Ahmed stated that Tinubu’s declaration of a national security emergency ‘has missed the point completely.’ He called the government’s approach ‘misguided, wasteful, and distorted by corruption.’ ‘This declaration of a state of emergency is a joke. Leave it at that,’ he firmly stated.
Baba-Ahmed also rejected President Tinubu’s proposal to recruit and quickly train new security personnel. He argued that Nigeria’s security challenges do not stem from a shortage of manpower. ‘It is not about numbers,’ he explained. ‘It is about reducing corruption within the war against insecurity itself.’ He questioned how much security funding truly reaches its intended purpose, rather than being diverted towards ‘2027 elections.’ ‘Once you remove that corruption, Nigeria will become secure,’ Baba-Ahmed asserted.
Furthermore, Baba-Ahmed claimed the Nigerian Police Force could swiftly end banditry if freed from political interference. ‘Remove the Nigerian armed forces,’ he challenged. ‘The Nigerian Police alone can wipe out insecurity in two months.’ He emphasized: ‘Remove corruption, remove political interest, give them support, they will do it.’
Assessing the administration’s broader performance, Baba-Ahmed offered a stark warning. He stated, ‘This government is skating on thin ice. The ice is so thin you cannot believe it.’ He concluded, ‘We are in a precarious situation.’
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