Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar asserts that the nation’s security forces possess the capability to eliminate bandits threatening various regions.

During a meeting on Tuesday with stakeholders from Borno, including former House of Representatives member Mohammed Kumalia, Abubakar criticized President Bola Tinubu for not demonstrating the necessary leadership to address the escalating insecurity in the country.

“It is encouraging to see that more people, especially political leaders across the country, are increasingly becoming concerned about the deteriorating state of the Nigerian nation to the extent of engaging in finding solutions round the clock,” Abubakar noted.

Insecurity in Nigeria has intensified, with reports of bandit groups exerting control over specific areas and extorting local residents.

Abubakar attributed this troubling situation to what he perceives as Tinubu’s failure in leadership.

“The consensus is that the occupation of Nigerian territories across some parts of the north-east, north-west, and north-central states is a clear failure of political leadership, especially under the Tinubu-led APC Federal Government,” he stated.

“It is not beyond the capacity of the Nigerian security services to address these challenges; however, the government has yet to demonstrate an adequate response.”

He emphasized that without decisive leadership to confront and dismantle these criminal organizations, the issues of insecurity will persist.

“How can an entire local government be under the control of bandits? It is unacceptable that bandits or terrorists continue to take over communities, imposing levies on citizens and disrupting farming activities,” Abubakar remarked.

He concluded by asserting that with the “right political leadership, Nigerian security forces have the capacity to tackle the insecurity plaguing the country.”