•Senator Babafemi Ojudu and bandits
A former Special Adviser on Political Matters to the President, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, has said that Nigeria’s worsening insecurity requires urgent and innovative solutions, arguing that elected leaders cannot excuse poor performance by blaming problems inherited from previous administrations.
Speaking today during an interview on Channels Television, Senator Ojudu said anyone seeking public office does so with full knowledge of the country’s challenges and should therefore be prepared with practical solutions.
According to him, while insecurity in the North-East, North-West and parts of North-Central Nigeria predates the administration of President Bola Tinubu, leaders who campaign for office must be held accountable for addressing existing problems.
“We are all aware of the emergence of the security challenges in the North-East, North-West and parts of central Nigeria. These problems did not start overnight,” he said.
He noted that successive administrations had struggled to tackle insecurity but maintained that this could not serve as an excuse for current leaders.
“If someone comes and says, ‘I want to be your president, I want to be your leader,’ then that person must have seen these problems and come up with solutions. There can be no excuse,” he said.
The former aide expressed concern over the impact of insecurity on vulnerable Nigerians, particularly children, citing cases of young victims exposed to harsh conditions after being abducted.
He lamented that many Nigerians appear to have become desensitised to incidents that should provoke national outrage.
“When children who should be safe in their parents’ care are exposed to rain and sunshine and forced to trek hundreds of kilometres, and the nation carries on as if nothing has happened, then something is wrong,” he said.
He called for deeper engagement with communities and stakeholders to identify the root causes of criminal activities, including banditry and kidnapping.
On feasible approaches to the insecurity problems, he advised authorities not to limit their response to military operations, but should also explore dialogue and intelligence-gathering efforts aimed at understanding the motivations behind violent crimes.
“There must be a solution. There is no problem in the world without a solution. We are simply not thinking deeply enough about these issues,” he said.
Drawing from his experience in government, the senator recalled how engagement with leaders in the Niger Delta helped address widespread attacks on oil infrastructure during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He recounted how the then vice president advocated direct dialogue with community leaders despite calls for a more forceful military response.
According to him, discussions with stakeholders in the region revealed grievances related to development, education and economic opportunities, leading to agreements that helped ease tensions.
“The lesson was simple: we need to listen to our people,” he said.
He argued that a similar approach should be considered in addressing terrorism, banditry and other forms of violent crime, stressing that meaningful engagement with affected communities and influential actors could complement security operations.
The former aide also warned that the insecurity crisis is already disrupting social and economic life in many communities, with residents afraid to travel, attend religious services or send their children to school.
“This situation is not only affecting our present; it will affect our future,” he said.
He urged government at all levels to devote greater attention and resources to finding lasting solutions, warning that failure to act decisively could have long-term consequences for national development and social stability.
