The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has lamented the state of insecurity in Nigeria, urging President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency.
The NBA, in the address that was read by its National President, Mr. Yakubu Maikyau, SAN, who was flanked by all the executives of the association, threw its weight behind the call for the establishment of state police.
The NBA maintained that “what Nigerians require is a well thought-out, informed, all-inclusive and purposeful intervention, with as much necessary information made available to the public as made be dictated or permitted by the security situations from time to time.”
It urged President Tinubu to show demonstrable commitment to prioritize the security of lives and properties in the country.
The association also decried that “some Nigerians have lost, and many more are fast losing confidence in the ability of the Federal Government to deal with the security situation in the country.”
According to the legal body, “all forms of criminal activities across the nation, howsoever described, by criminal elements by whatever name called, are completely inexcusable and unacceptable.”
It said, “The entire country is under siege by terrorists, bandits and criminal gangs. It is no longer easily determinable, if not impossible, which square kilometer of the Nigerian territory is under the authority not control of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“A situation where criminality dots all over the space known as the Nigeria territory, in a manner that diminishes the presence of law enforcement agencies, directly challenges the sovereignty of Nigeria.
“This is particularly so when we hear that the said bandits and terrorists are foreign nationals
“If the activities of foreign nationals have been responsible for this high level of insecurity in our nation when the country is not at war, these criminal elements go on to boldly record and send out videos on social media platforms boasting about their strongholds with the territory of the Nigerian state and suffer no consequence for so doing, then there is more to it than meets the eye, and Nigerians need to be better informed of the nature of the insecurity they are dealing with.”
Continuing, the NBA, in the letter it wrote to President Tinubu, said, “The entire nation is swimming in the pool of the blood of its citizens and we seem to have become numb to it and insensitive to the bloodletting in this country.
“We appear to have lost our humanity and these incidents are fast becoming a norm and a part of our existence.
“Those entrusted with the responsibility to drive and implement government policies appear to be content with the false sense of security created by the high walls around them and the few arms-bearing security personnel who keep vigil over them. We must reverse the trend.
“We call on the government to have a change of mindset, strategy and tactics in not only making necessary investments in security, but also in a way our military strength/capabilities are displayed to the public.
“There is literally no part of the country that is not enmeshed in one form of insecurity challenge or the other. What makes the entire situation even more disturbing is the increasing boldness of the perpetrators,” the NBA added.
It warned that the security challenges, if not promptly tackled, would continue to have a negative impact on the nation’s economy.
“The Nigerian economy is dwindling; the value of Naira has been bastardized, prices of foodstuff have skyrocketed, everything negative seems that be on the rise. The insecurity has equally impacted negatively on food sufficiency and good security as a nation.
“Those who rely on farming as their sole means of livelihood have been thrown into abject poverty, because they no longer go to their farms.
“While this administration may argue that it is only seven months into office and is not the cause of present-day experience, the fact remains that it is this government that has the responsibility of stemming the negative tide,” the NBA stated.
Moreso, NBA kicked against the Enhanced Trade Investment Partnership (ETIP) Agreement which the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment signed with the government of the United Kingdom, which would allow British lawyers to practice in Nigeria.
“It is indeed unfortunate that this tragic reminder of our colonial past is being gleefully celebrated at the highest level of the Government of Nigeria.
“What is more disheartening is the fact that a decision of this magnitude that adversely affects the wellbeing and livelihood of millions of Nigerians could be taken without any consultation, especially with the NBA,” the legal body added.NBA laments insecurity in Nigeria, calls for declaration of state of emergency