Former senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has criticized the Federal Government’s plan to hold another national security summit, urging instead for immediate and intensified military action against terrorists and bandits wreaking havoc across the country.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Sani said Nigeria had “talked too much” about insecurity and stressed that what the country needs now is concrete action.
“We have had so many talks, summits and conferences about security and what is needed now is more action,” he said. “For over a decade, terrorists in the northern part of Nigeria have been unleashing mayhem, burning villages, kidnapping people, and collecting ransom. Each time we think they are gone, they reemerge more boldly.”
Sani’s comments come a day after the Senate resolved to set up an ad hoc committee to organize a two-day national security summit in Abuja.
The summit, proposed amid rising insecurity—particularly in the North—is expected to bring together representatives from all levels of government, traditional institutions, and security stakeholders.
Supporters of the initiative argue that the summit could help develop new strategies and forge a united front against terrorism.
However, critics, including Sani, remain skeptical, pointing to past summits that produced little in terms of actionable outcomes.
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“The war against terrorism is not only about Nigeria,” Sani said. “Other nations in our region—Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso—are also battling these threats. In fact, their failure to handle insecurity led to military takeovers. We must learn from this.”
He added that to effectively counter terrorist advances, Nigeria must embrace technological warfare, noting that insurgents are already using tools like drones to boost their operations.
Sani warned that continued delays in taking decisive action could come at a grave cost. “Our survival as a nation depends on defeating these terrorists,” he concluded.
The Senate’s proposed summit is moving forward, with Senate President Godswill Akpabio directing the committee to begin preparations immediately.