Former Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Dumebi Kachikwu, on Thursday challenged President Bola Tinubu to “tell Nigerians the truth” about the forces behind the country’s prolonged security crisis, insisting that the era of secrecy around terrorism sponsors must end.
Kachikwu made the appeal at a media parley in Abuja, where he delivered an assessment of successive administrations’ handling of the war against insurgency and banditry.
According to him, Nigerians have endured years of bloodshed without clarity on the identities or motives of those fueling the violence.
He said, “Four presidents have come before you since this war started, and none of them told us the truth about what is really going on. Mr President, the time has come for us all to know our enemies and their motives. Is this a religious or political war? Who are the sponsors?
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“We are tired of innuendoes and threats of exposing those behind these terrorists. Surely you owe it to our people to expose and prosecute them if they are known. We are now being told to forgive and grant amnesty to bloodthirsty terrorists. Can we forgive those we don’t know?”
The ADC chieftain lamented that years of evasive statements by public officials have only deepened public frustration, especially as attacks, kidnappings and banditry continue across several states.
He argued that soldiers who once helped restore peace in foreign conflict zones are now unfairly portrayed as weak due to failures at the leadership level.
“You owe it to Nigerians to go after these saboteurs. Nigerian soldiers who once brought peace to other warring nations are now being called cowards. How did we get here?
“The president must unveil those behind this terrorism,” he said.
Kachikwu warned that the country can no longer hide under the excuse that Tinubu inherited a complex security situation, noting that the crisis has cost Nigeria billions of dollars and inflicted immense human suffering.
“The blood of the innocent is being shed daily in Nigeria while kidnapping and banditry are commonplace. Granted you inherited this, but this should no longer be an excuse,” he added.
The former presidential candidate also threw his weight behind the clamour for state policing, arguing that Nigeria must adapt to the realities of a decentralised security challenge.
“There is no reason why, at this point, we should shy away from the issue of state police. I believe our troops are very brave men and women. This is a war where the faces of the real enemies of this country have not been exposed,” he said.
Kachikwu insisted that if the Federal Government cannot end the war, the citizens should be allowed to use any means possible, including carrying firearms to defend themselves.
The ADC chieftain’s concerns come just four days after the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, revealed that the Federal Government would soon make public the names of individuals and networks allegedly sponsoring terrorism.
Speaking on a Television Continental programme, Bwala said the Tinubu administration was already taking “far-reaching decisions” on national security that would soon become evident.
According to him, the government is intensifying efforts to combat insurgency and will expose financiers and enablers of terrorist activities.
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