2023 Elections: Lawyers Speak On How Buhari, NASS Can Address Insecurity

Legal practitioners have contended that amid the security challenges bedeviling Nigeria, it lies within the constitutional powers and political will of the federal government and the National Assembly to address them.

President Muhammdu Buhari, while speaking during the graduation ceremony of 247 students of the Senior Course 44 of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, on Thursday, assured Nigerians that his administration “would continue to provide the needed support required to wipe out terrorists and insurgents off the face of the earth.”

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The president gave the assurance after terrorists had attacked the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre on July 5, resulting in the escape of more than 800 inmates, although over 400 of the escapees have been apprehended.

This is happening about 7 months to the 2023 general elections and Femi Falana SAN has urged the President to declare a state of emergency urgently in line with Constitutional provisions or else the mulitiple attacks across the nation may jeopardize the timing of the polls.

Reacting to the development, Mike Ozekhome SAN, told our correspondent that a better welfare package will boost the moral of security agents.

“Both arms of government should rise up and give us security, the very primary function of government, in addition to welfare,” he stated in a text message.

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For Sunny Ajala SAN, he told THE WHISTLER that fighting insecurity requires political will.

“The challenge of governance in the present time has nil legal/judicial content but purely a case of flight of political will to activate the desirable operational competences,” he added.

However, the Citizens Advocacy for Social & Economic Rights (CASER) urged the president to replace all the service chiefs while the NASS and the federal government should give effect to state police.

Barrister Frank Tietie, CASER’s Executive Director, told our correspondent that if the president fails to replace the security chiefs, the insecurity may not reduce.

He stated, “In confinement to the present constitution, there isn’t much to be expected from the government except to replace key security officials who have been directly responsible for managing Nigeria’s security.

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“They have failed time and again and their continued stay in office amounts to the president’s endorsement of failure.

“Beyond the constitutional confines,it is of utmost urgency that the responsibility to provide security should be localised to state and local government levels.”

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