Former Adamawa Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Ahmad Sajoh, has emphasised that the success of President Bola Tinubu’s newly declared national security emergency depends on genuine commitment and strong political will from all stakeholders.
In an interview in Abuja on Thursday, Sajoh described the security emergency as timely and necessary, noting that many Nigerians had long advocated for such decisive action.
He explained that increasing the number of police officers, establishing forest guards, and providing a legal foundation for state policing would help reduce ungoverned spaces, especially across the expansive terrains of the North.
However, he cautioned that these steps would fall short without the backing of political resolve and the deployment of modern security technology.
Sajoh also praised the administration’s move to tackle herder–farmer clashes linked to open grazing but stressed the need for adequate sensitisation of all affected groups.
He said that ending open grazing would require a new and sustained orientation for herders nationwide.
Speaking on the recent kidnappings of students, he commended the safe rescue efforts but warned against the growing trend of governments and local communities engaging in negotiations with bandits.
According to him, “Bandits and kidnappers are criminals. Government should not negotiate with them; they should be apprehended or neutralised. Treating them softly only emboldens them.”
He added that while authorities fear collateral damage due to the criminals’ use of human shields, security forces must still be firm in their approach.
Sajoh also criticised community-level negotiations with criminal groups, describing them as a sign of weakness and a dangerous message that the state is unable to protect its citizens.
He argued that a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic strategies could be used, but greater emphasis should remain on decisive force to restore public confidence.
Security analyst Bulama Bukarti, in a reaction posted on his Facebook page, also welcomed President Tinubu’s decision, insisting that the declaration must translate into continuous, targeted operations against violent groups.
Bukarti stressed that only a bold and comprehensive restructuring of the nation’s security framework—one that actively takes the battle to criminal enclaves—can halt attacks on schools, worship centres, and other vulnerable locations, ultimately restoring peace and stability across the country.