Former Chief of Army Staff, retired General Ishaya Bamaiyi, has called on the Federal Government to approach the country’s security challenges with sincerity, stressing the need to end lip service and political interference.
Speaking with journalists in Birnin Kebbi, General Bamaiyi criticized the current approach to tackling insecurity, describing it as flawed due to sycophancy and a lack of patriotism among government officials.
According to him, security issues are being mishandled because politicians, rather than trained security professionals, are calling the shots.
“For me, if I’m to speak frankly, I believe that if the government is sincere and determined, our military can handle insecurity within two months. But unfortunately, officers are only receiving orders through television—no serious military officer takes instructions like that. It’s all politics,” he stated.
On the security situation in Kebbi State, the former Army Chief lamented the inefficiencies in the handling of security matters. He stressed that as the Chief Security Officer of the state, the governor must take full charge.
“You don’t combine security operations with civil service protocol,” he warned. “Security demands urgency. You can’t wait for bureaucratic processes before acting.”
General Bamaiyi also disclosed his unsuccessful attempts to meet with Governor Nasir Idris one-on-one to offer advice, expressing disappointment over the lack of access.
Despite his criticism, he commended the Kebbi State Government for its infrastructural development strides and urged greater attention to security, especially given the state’s proximity to two international borders.
“Security should be the government’s top priority,” he said.
