Former Foreign Affairs Minister, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, accused some state governments of enabling terrorist operations by engaging with armed groups and avoiding decisive action against them. He made this claim during a Wednesday interview on Arise Television.
Akinyemi demanded extensive security measures, including large-scale military recruitment, the imposition of emergency rule, the use of military tribunals, and the suspension of constitutional immunity for governors.
The elder statesman supported the call for the immediate expansion of the Nigerian armed forces, arguing that current troop numbers are insufficient for confronting the widespread insecurity.
He questioned the role of governors, who are the chief security officers of their states, saying, “You see terrorists openly with their guns coming into the city to have weddings… They are entertained by government officials.” He concluded that a governor “does not know that terrorists are operating in his state” is implausible and agreed that the current soldiers are overstretched, necessitating large-scale recruitment.
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