Follow Us on Google
From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The National Association of Seadogs (Pyrates Confraternity) has urged the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to copy from America’s counter-terrorism strategy in the bid to tackle terrorism in the country.
The NAS Capoon, Mr Abiola Owoaje, made the call in a statement titled: “The death of al-Qurayshi: Lessons for Nigeria in counter-terrorism” against the backdrop of the death of terrorist leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi during a pre-dawn raid by a United States Special forces in Syria.
According to him, owing to the failure of President Buhari to tackle the insecurity ravaging the country contrary to expectations before his election, the administration can borrow a leaf from America to solve our insecurity concerns.
“The National Association of Seadogs (Pyrates Confraternity) strongly believes that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration can draw learning moments in the United State’s approach to its execution of the war against terror. Over the course of seven years in power, the glib assumption that President Buhari, as an ex-general would be better qualified to rid Nigeria of internal and external terror threats has been totally repudiated by the rather abysmal performance of his administration in this most important regard. The poor results, manifested in the lived experiences of millions of ordinary citizens, have been sadly highlighted by numerous strategic and tactical slip ups within the security establishment,” he said.
Owoaje who picked holes in some of the strategies being adopted such as disclosure beforehand of plans to attack terrorists camps and “inchoate and continuously worrisome propaganda by Presidency officials” commended Nigerian troops for their “enduring courage and thankless sacrifice” in the face of lack of the required political will on the part of the President to “deal decisively with the merchants of death.”
Owoaje recommended that the current administration should come down heavily on “ideological bedfellows of religious bigotry among its own ranks, the hideous links in the terrorism financial value chain, and all the other collaborators and facilitators who have bolstered the amorphous insurgency” He dismissed the recent revelation by Mr Lai Mohammed on the arrest of sponsors of terrorism in the country noting that previous revelation by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice had yielded no result as the government has refused to disclose the identities of the sponsors and charge them to court.
While calling on President Buhari to rise to his constitutional responsibilities and save innocent Nigerians from being killed, Owoaje cautioned the military to be discreet with information on operations.
“Again, we reiterate our earlier declaration that the present administration should move beyond vain rhetoric in its war strategy against terror and move swiftly to interdict the sponsors of these criminal gangs. Their identities should be revealed, accounts should be frozen, assets seized, and they should be expeditiously and vigorously prosecuted to demonstrate the administration‘s seriousness in ending the reign of terror across the country.
“President Buhari should show sincerity of purpose by rallying the Nigerian Armed Forces to confront the criminal gangs killing our people. He has a constitutional responsibility to prevent the collapse of Nigeria. Enough is already enough.”
