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You are currently viewing Tinubu has capacity to crush Lakurawa, new terrorist group –Shettima – The Sun Nigeria

Tinubu has capacity to crush Lakurawa, new terrorist group –Shettima – The Sun Nigeria

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President General of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Alhaji Shettima Yerima, has expressed worries about the activities of the new terrorist group, which was said to have found its way to Kaduna and Niger States after launching deadly attacks in Kebbi and Sokoto States a few weeks ago.

Shettima blamed the regrouping of the terrorist group on the ineptitude of the security architecture of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, saying it is now haunting the country. To him, if the federal government had been serious about crushing the group six years ago, the story would have been different today.

In this interview with SOLA OJO in Kaduna, he expressed his mixed feelings, just as he is confident that the current administration will deal decisively with the issue.

What is your position on the Lakurawa terrorist group that is now regrouping in the North at a time when we think the security situation in the zone is under control?

The truth of the matter is that any threat anywhere must be seen as a threat and must be addressed, especially when such has to do with security. I remember vividly when Waziri Tambuwal was the governor of Sokoto State, we had the same group of people. But because of intense pressure from the government then, they were forced to run back to where they were coming from. They are foreigners who initially said they were only passing through the country. So, I’m as worried as every sincere Nigerian that these same people came back to our country.

But, it appears the government was decisive in addressing it to avoid what happened in the case of Boko Haram and bandits. It is also good that we have people who are determined to work with the government to ensure they are not allowed to. This is because it is one thing for the government to have such policies and programmes; it is another thing to have people who will help in implementing these policies and programmes. If you look at it very well, the new acting Chief of Army Staff never waited upon resumption. He immediately swung into action to address the issue. Even before then, the Minister of State, Defence, Bello Matawalle, also worked to address it as the region is now calming down because most of the bandits’ leaders have been dislodged. As we speak, the dreaded kidnapping kingpin Bello Turji is nowhere to be found compared to when he used to display his arms and ammunition. So, I have no doubts in my mind that with the action taken so far, the issue is being addressed.

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In addition to that, I have said times without number that unless the government is not determined to wipe out insecurity, it won’t achieve it. There is nowhere in the world where we can compare the government forces with any armed group. This is because government, no matter its size, remains the strongest institution. They only need political will to address the issue and Nigerians can see the results. Unlike before when we have issues of mass kidnapping and other forms of crime, that is no longer the case.

But we still have pockets of kidnappings around, especially in Kaduna, Zamfara, and Niger States…

Let us try to be sincere with ourselves that there is nowhere in the world where there is zero crime rate, even in the holy lands. I’m hopeful that this will also fizzle out just as armed robbery and Boko Haram. Even this Lakurawa, I believe, will be constructively engaged under the current security apparatus.

So, what do you suggest the country should do especially with the news that these people have now expanded to Kaduna and Niger States?

Yeah, that was unfortunate. However, don’t forget that these elements know that there is a government in place. So, I want to believe that as the constituted authorities are trying to engage them, they are also thinking ahead. So, it is left for the government to be proactive rather than being reactionary. Rather than allowing them to come into the country and look for a base, they should be engaged right from the borders. This means our borders must be strengthened to avoid invasions like Lakurawa. This is an abuse of our sensibility as a country.

But these guys don’t just come and settle in the country; they do that in connivance with the locals. How should we handle this?

Yes, that is also key. We just need to keep telling our people to be security conscious in this age and time. Also, the government must provide our people with a safe and trusted platform so that there can be trust between the civilian populace and security agents. And at the end of the day, we can improve our local intelligence gathering, which is very important. People should feel safe after divulging information to the security agents on the activities of criminals. Once that is done, we can rest assured this issue will be properly addressed.

Have you also noticed that the insecurity in the North has crippled the Northern economy? Don’t you see that as a breeding ground for crime especially when young persons are not productively engaged?

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I think the Northern economy will bounce back, considering the success so far recorded in the fight against insecurity. The government of the day has realised that it cannot deliver its promises to Nigerians if we continue to allow the situation to degenerate. So, I want to commend the federal government through the office of the Minister of State, Defence, Bello Matawalle, who is now the rallying point when it comes to security. This is because you need someone to ensure synergy between the security agencies. You could imagine the situation under the immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari where all the security chiefs were working in silos. But now we can see the efforts so far. So far, he has demonstrated his capacity and goodwill.

Talking about Matawalle, there seem to be endless protests against him by some groups, and the President seems not bothered about those people. Why?

See, Tinubu is very intelligent. The protest against him is not in the interest of the well-meaning Nigerians but by a few crowd-renting groups. Have you seen any of those protesting coming up with any tangible evidence against him? This is someone who was screened by the secret police before being confirmed by the Senate. Don’t also forget that most of these protests are organised by the opposition parties who saw Matawalle as a major storm before their eyes. Don’t also forget that as far as politics of the North is concerned today, Matawalle stands shoulder-to-shoulder with any of those political distractors. I’m happy he also understands that. Again, don’t forget that the North has a political role to play in Nigeria’s political space. For anybody to win a national election, he must do everything within his reach to take Matawalle off the road. As I said, Tinubu is a very wise man. He is a core politician. He is a product of protest whom I have worked with closely, and as such, he studies every protest before acting. In the past, when we didn’t want to see your face, we organized protests. If I had my way, I would have stopped all manners of protests without a face. I understand that protest is a right. However, anyone coming up with a protest should add a face. Only in recent times have I realized that one person could organize a protest without having any office under a fictitious name. But because there are miscreants who will be mobilized from Nasarawa, Gwagwalada, etc, to come and hold placards without even understanding the content. We in the North West knew what Matawalle was doing, and we stood by him. We want our total peace back in this region and he is giving us results.

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With the emergence of Lakurawa, what is your clear advice to Mr President on this issue that has emerged in the North West again?

We commend him for taking the bull by the horns. He has done well. Where were these critics when Buhari was President for eight years? What has Buhari not done worse than what we are seeing today? Whatever challenges we are facing today cannot be detached from what Buhari left behind.

But the moment, Nigerians are not interested in what Buhari did or has not done; they are interested in seeing the results, and that was why they elected him…

Is he complaining? He’s working and we must give him time to work. Do Nigerians expect magic to repair eight years of damage in less than two years? That is not done anywhere. It is easy to destroy which Buhari has succeeded in doing. To repair takes time, and to be candid, let’s see what happens next.

Already, some people are making unprintable wishes for the President, accusing him of increasing their pains with some of his strong economic decisions. Have you heard such, and what has been your response?

They can gather anywhere to express their wishes. If they like, let them go anywhere, including the holy lands; so far, the person they are accusing has a clear mind and a good relationship with his maker; their wishes and prayers will amount to nothing. This is because God is the God of justice. We have gone beyond this beautiful nonsense, for God’s sake. I speak as a northerner. I speak as a stakeholder. I am not a push away from the Northern affairs of today. I count, I influence. As a decision moulder, I speak and people listen. I speak when something is not right, no matter who is involved, but on this matter, let us still support this government until we get to a point where we can’t stand it. This is just less than half of a four-year term.

Furthermore, only a few days ago, we heard that the oil production in the Niger Delta has increased. We are getting about 1.8 million barrels per day compared to what we used to get. So, we should be patient. Things will work. If this country collapses, it will collapse on all of us – God forbid. So, let us be mindful of all those desperate politicians.



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