Election 2023: Security Chieftain Calls For More Offensive Action Against Terrorists, Bandits

By Frank Oshanugor

With about eighteen months to the 2023 general elections in various states of Nigeria, an Abuja-based security practitioner has urged the Federal Government to be more focused in tackling issues of insecurity across the states of the federation and the increasing agitation by separatists who are pushing for Oduduwa, Biafran and other Republics.

In an exclusive interview with AtlanticNewsonline at the weekend, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Ebowise Security Guards Limited; a subsidiary of Ebowise Global Security Equipment Limited, Mr. Oriaku Ebubedike, said the issue of security has more importance and should be given priority “because if the country is not at peace, we cannot be talking of election.”

He is however hopeful that given the fighting spirit of Nigeria’s armed forces, peace would likely be achieved before the election time thereby creating a conducive environment for the election.

The Ebowise Security advised that for the insecurity pervading the various states of the federation to abate, there should be concerted effort in promoting the community policing mantra of the current leadership of the Nigeria Police Force.

In his words, “Nigeria is not lacking in terms of human intellectual capacity to checkmate terrorism, kidnapping for ransom, banditry, but where is the sincerity of purpose, I may ask? Where is the synergy between the police and the community? Where is the intelligence chain? To me, the intelligence chain between the community and police has since been broken.”

“It would therefore be worthwhile if government takes the community policing seriously down to the grassroot and create a situation where the police and community would have a common synergy. Without that, we may be pursuing shadow for a long time. If a synergy is in place between communities and police with other security agencies, we would go a long way in addressing some of the security challenges we have.”

Commenting on the much trended suspicion that banditry, insurgency, kidnapping have sponsors in Nigeria possibly among government officials, Ebubedike remarked that “there is a common saying which holds that there is no smoke without fire.”. Therefore he would want to believe that sponsors of such evil ventures exist in our midst but he would want to ask what legacy are such sponsors of killers and destroyers of property want to leave for the unborn generation? “

Since the suspicion is gaining more ground by the day, he would want the Buhari administration to intensify effort in fishing out the so called faceless sponsors.

While condemning the spate of corruption among Nigeria’s politicians, the security boss pointed out that “corruption had been on ground before Buhari’s administration came to power. So far, the President is doing his best to stem the tide of corruption but of great concern are the corrupt elements around him in his administration. They are certainly not aligning with his anti corruption vision. If his followers at all levels of government are seriously aligning with him, Buhari would certainly get the anti corruption fight right.”

Speaking on the security equipment sector in Nigeria, the Ebowise chieftain said business in the sector is good “but regrettably the environment we find ourselves is not conducive for private companies to thrive except one has a “God father” as a contact or connection with government circle. However, such a scenario would not stop us from pushing ahead.”