A former National Chairman of the Alliance National Party (ANP), Asiwaju Mashood Shittu, has warned that Nigeria risks sliding into deeper insecurity unless urgent steps are taken to entrench good governance across all levels of leadership.
Shittu, who holds a BSc in Peace and Conflict Resolution, a Master’s degree in Peace and Strategic Studies, and currently serves as Vice President of the Institute of Crisis Resolution Peacebuilding and Conciliation ICRPC said insecurity in Nigeria goes far beyond banditry.
He disclosed that every region of the country is grappling with its own peculiar challenges.
“It’s just a serious warning for the future of this nation. There are no secrets or anything behind it than good governance. All the solutions to this insecurity are in good governance,” he declared.
According to him, it is misleading to focus solely on the menace of banditry in the North, as other forms of violent crimes and social vices are ravaging different parts of the federation.
“In the Southwest, we see ritual killings and internet fraudsters making people cry every day. Human beings are butchered like animals for ritual purposes.
“In the Southeast, IPOB activities, armed robbery, and other crimes are daily occurrences. In the South-South, kidnappings are rampant, particularly in the oil-producing states. Even the North Central is not spared,” he said.
Shittu maintained that the country’s security crisis is compounded by corruption in government, where public officials entrusted with the nation’s resources divert them for personal gain.
“The people in government are not safe in their hands. They are given trust to take care of public funds but are embezzling, stealing our money every day. I see danger ahead if we cannot practice good governance for the future of this country,” he warned.
He stressed that the rule of law must be strengthened, and governments must prioritise the protection of lives and property above all else.
“We must be ready to invest in the rule of law. It is very important that we must continue to change our government until we have a better one. Any government that wants to take care of security must practice good governance,” Shittu added.
The former ANP Chairman concluded by urging Nigerians to face reality and acknowledge that insecurity is a national problem, not limited to any single ethnic group or region.
“We must be ready to tell ourselves the truth. Every sector, every part of this country is not safe,” he said.
