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By Dickson Okafor
National Chairman, Coalition to Strengthen Democracy for Good Governance Initiative (CSDGGI) and former Route Commander, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Christopher B. Sarki, has described the rising insecurity situation in Nigeria as “organized crime by some overzealous and disgruntled leaders and politicians especially in the Northern part of country for personal and political gains” and stressed that it must not be allowed to continue.
Sarki also weighed in on the forthcoming Osun State governorship election, declaring that it would be another litmus test for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to prove to Nigerians that it is unbiased and independent in the conduct of elections in the country.
In this interview, Sarki, who is the Terminal Manager of Sifax Group, speaks on these and other national issues.
Another Commissioner of Police, CP Samuel Erale Etaifo, was recently deployed to Osun State to specifically oversee security arrangements related to the governorship election. What are your thoughts on this development?
The deployment of CP Samuel Erale Etaifo as additional Commissioner of Police to complement the efforts of the State Commissioner of Police on security arrangements is in order to ensure a peaceful, free and fair governorship election in Osun on August 15, 2026 without military deployment is a welcome development. It gladdened the heart of the Osun State electorate when the Nigeria Police Force announced the deployment of another Commissioner of Police to the state ahead of the election, while the assigned Commissioner of Police oversees non-election matters. The posting is part of efforts to strengthen security architecture during the election. He will work in synergy with other security agencies, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other stakeholders to guarantee the safety of voters, election materials, and officials throughout the electoral process. However, the Osun governorship election is another litmus test for the electoral body to prove to Nigerians that it is unbiased and independent in the conduct of elections in the country.
President Bola Tinubu vowed to restructure the security architecture just a few weeks after the Minister of Defence Gen. Christopher Musa expressed shock over his rumoured resignation. What do you make of that?
No doubt that some powerful individuals are pushing for the removal of the Minister of Defence Gen. Christopher Musa (retd), but President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that I know will not fall for such a cheap political lobby. Rather, President Tinubu and Gen Musa deserve accolades for the recent security gains recorded by the Joint Forces in the rescue of Oriire schoolchildren and teachers and the arrest of some terrorist kingpins across the country. That President Bola Tinubu vowed to continue restructuring the security architecture does not mean he was referring to the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa. Because the Minister of Defence has not failed in his duty rather he has lived up to the expectations of Nigerians through the recent security breakthrough. Notwithstanding, there are some security methods or systems of operations that must give way. The rising insecurity situation in Nigeria is what I can describe as organized crime by some overzealous and disgruntled leaders and politicians especially in the Northern part of the country for personal and political gains and this must not be allowed to continue. Some powerful individuals wanted Gen. Musa to be removed as Minister of Defence because of the innovations and strategies he brought that have helped in combating insecurity. Therefore, you don’t expect such evil people to fold their hands and watch. Hence there is no smoke without fire. So, President Bola Tinubu who engaged Gen. Musa as Minister of Defence after he retired as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) knew that he is equal to the task and wouldn’t make the mistake of changing a winning team in the middle of the game.
What is your take on the call by Arewa Consultative Forum and the opposition for Tinubu to deploy the same strategy used to rescue Oriire schoolchildren to resolve other abduction cases?
The strategy used by the Joint Forces to rescue Oriire schoolchildren in Oyo State was an excellent act and I assure Nigerians that it will be replicated by the security agencies to resolve other abduction cases under the watch of the Minister of Defence Gen. Christopher Musa. So, the Arewa Consultative Forum and oppositions made a noble request which I believe the security agencies will heed. Meanwhile, we all know that terrorism is an irregular warfare, and this one has also been fuelled largely by the porosity of our borders which give room for easy influx of criminals from war-torn countries. It is unfortunate that since the emergence of insurgency, which has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions of people across northern Nigeria over the past decade, no official judicial determination has established sponsors of Boko Haram. I am very sure that with the measures introduced by the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd) and with the regular review of the strategies, this evil act will soon come to an end.
How do you feel about FG’s renewed push for compensation over xenophobic attacks and South Africa’s failure to honour the agreement with Nigeria over 98 Nigerians killed in that country since 2022?
It is an ideal request by the Federal Government from the South Africa government for compensation over xenophobic attacks on Nigerians resident in that country in addition to honouring the agreement it signed with Nigeria to compensate for the unlawful killing of Nigerian citizens resident in South Africa. It beats my imagination that after the huge resources Nigeria spent to help abolish apartheid in South Africa, Black South Africans have heartlessly killed over 98 Nigerians since 2022. Beyond money, Nigerians also used their intellectual prowess either through songs, poems, artworks and activism to end apartheid so that our Black brothers and sisters can heave a sigh of relief. Unfortunately, after we had helped them gain freedom they have now turned against us. Several renowned Nigerian musicians such as Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Sonny Okosun, Roothsman, Peterside Otong, Majek Fashek, Orits Wiliki, Ras Kimono, Mandators and the great music producer, Lemmy Jackson, just to mention but a few, composed songs against apartheid. Nigerians are good people if not there are so many South Africa companies and establishments making huge amounts of money in Nigeria, but we never disturbed them. So, the South African government should quickly compensate Nigeria for the unlawful killing of her innocent citizens.
What would you say about the recent war of words between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his former deputy, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar?
Atiku Abubakar should forever remain grateful to former President Olusegun Obasanjo for picking him instead of Alhaji Abubakar Rimi as his running mate in 1999 and 2003. Yet, I won’t blame Atiku for helping Nigeria’s democracy by sponsoring the killing of Obasanjo’s 3rd term ambition. It was not welcomed by Nigerians and we prayed to God to send somebody that could stop the 3rd term plan of Obasanjo and the Almighty threw up Atiku. Obasanjo should have forgotten about that by now because Nigeria is not one of these small countries in Africa where somebody will sit tight in power without question. We are the largest black nation in the world and should be seen and treated as the giant of Africa. The war of words between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former vice President Atiku Abubabar over 3rd term cannot stop Atiku’s presidential ambition in 2027.
The question of President Bola Tinubu’s educational qualification is back in the news. Should Nigerians be focused on this now or how to vote in 2027?
This is a repeat of the debate in 2023. Chicago State University even made it clear that they would not release President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s result to the opposition for reasons best known to them. Yet, they are alleging that the Chicago State University certificate President Tinubu presented in 1999 is different from what he submitted in 2027. So, why are the opposition parties reopening the debate? Where were they when President Bola Tinubu contested senatorial and governorship elections and won? Was he not screened by the electoral umpire? Before they were boasting that through the coalition of opposition parties, they will defeat President Bola Tinubu in 2027 and now that the Presidential campaign is about to commence they are talking about certificates. It is a pity that a strong and issue driven opposition is dead in Nigeria with the crop of politicians we have now. After the certificate question and if Tinubu eventually emerges winner in 2027 their song will change to the election was rigged or results manipulated. Majority of politicians in Nigeria today are fault finders. Rather than forming a formidable alliance to defeat the ruling party, they are busy fighting themselves. This selfish attitude of opposition politicians was one of the reasons the coalition crumbled and today they are blaming President Tinubu for their inability to stand together.
Only the African Democratic Congress and National Democratic Congress have strong, popular presidential candidates unlike the other opposition parties. Do you think the opposition stands a chance of defeating Tinubu in 2027?
That was why I said the opposition parties should stop antagonizing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) or President Bola Tinubu and think of a way to defeat him through the ballot. This becomes important because in a political contest anything can happen hence you cannot say it is over until when the final results are announced by INEC and a winner emerges. Meanwhile, as it stands, if opposition parties fail to come together and forgo their personal interests and push for collective interest that will benefit Nigerians, then the coast will be clear for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027. I disagree that Nigeria is a step to a one party system because the opposition parties did not present to Nigerians a credible alternative in 2027. They spend time and resources to find faults from the Federal Government, but fail to understand that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu inherited the burden we are in now. And through the Renewed Hope Agenda, the government is solving the problems created in the past.
Do you share the concern that governors will abuse the State Police initiative when it materialises?
When it happens it will be the best thing that has happened to the country. The creation of State Police is to help fix insecurity in Nigeria It will be a welcome development in order to decentralise policing in Nigeria. In a globalized world such as we live in, the State Police which is referred to as Sheriff in Britain and other advanced countries is in charge of security in rural and urban areas. So, if the state Houses of Assembly pass it with proper and fair legislation it will be a right decision in the right direction and that will bring insecurity and criminal activities to the barest minimum.
