A renowned socio-political activist and critic, Chief Adesunbo Onitiri, has urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on insecurity in view of the precarious and devastating incidence of kidnapping, banditry and other criminal activities in the country.
He made this known yesterday in a statement he issued in Lagos.
Onitiri said a critical problem, which has claimed thousands of lives and destroyed properties worth billions of Naira, needs a drastic solution and attention.
“In doing so, the government should wage total war on kidnappers and bandits as well go after their sponsors, name and shame them, no matter their status or how highly placed in the society,” he said.
He noted that insecurity had reached a devastating peak and called for major concern, “as no one is safe anywhere in the country.”
After it became quiet on the north-eastern front, with Boko Haram and ISWAP militants significantly degraded, banditry, which had imperturbably boiled as a slow civil war between Hausa farmers and Fulani herders, recrudesced in the north-western front into a brutal war. While Kanuricentric Boko Haram never quite metamorphosed into a kidnapping industry, and found it difficult to gain a foothold in the Northwest, banditry has effortlessly morphed into a profitable kidnapping industry. The entire Northwest has consequently worked itself into a lather, as the regions governors, with a helping hand from the federal government, mismanaged the revolt. Now, Abuja is threatened and unable to sleep, and the whole country is in uproar. The kidnapping crisis received wide publicity 10 days ago when gunmen in military uniforms abducted the Mansoor Al-Kadriyar family and others in the Bwari area council of the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja, murdered three of the victims, and upped the ransom from N60m to N700m. Former Communications minister Isa Pantami sensationally, but sanctimoniously, embarked on crowdfunding to aid the release of the victims.
A rash of copycat kidnapping may follow, leading to widespread apprehension in all parts of the country, and infernal pressures on both the Bola Tinubu administration and the FCT minister Nyesom Wike to rein in the madness. The Middle Belt is flaring up again, and it is a question of time before other parts of the country follow suit as more militants sense government’s weakness and desperation. It was always clear that Nigeria’s security strategy, never properly conceived nor standardized in the first place, was chaotic and outdated. The future has caught up with the country. How the Tinubu administration responds to this festering crisis will determine whether peace and stability would be quickly restored. Past administrations had either been ad hoc or lethargic in battling insecurity. By keeping the security system centralised and needlessly uniform, while also leaving many things undone for decades, including refusing to restructure the security system along more federalist lines, the current crisis became inevitable. In order not to be overwhelmed, the administration must now urgently regain the initiative by responding smartly and comprehensively to the kidnapping nightmare. The age of innocence is gone for good.
The first question the administration must ask is whether the sudden upsurge of kidnapping is merely a security issue consequent upon the nation’s socio-economic crisis or wholly or partly a political issue. If its diagnosis is right, its response will be conditioned by its findings and the panaceas will probably be effective. Three weeks ago, this column warned that there might be a correlation, no matter how tenuous, between the administration’s anti-corruption probes and the upsurge of insecurity. Nothing so far leads this column to think otherwise. The Christmas Eve attacks on Bokkos LGA in Plateau State were, for instance videoed and disseminated on social media. There was obviously a method to that madness. There will be many more of such provocations. However, regardless of the purpose of the kidnapping and senseless attacks on sleepy communities, whether to raise cash for nefarious reasons or just to feed fat on the misery of the helpless, it is the constitutional duty of the government to guarantee the safety and security of the people. And it is the duty of the security and intelligence services to know why the attacks are waged and by whom.
So far, the federal government has not demonstrated a proper understanding of the ongoing kidnapping and genocidal attacks, especially the whys. Responding to the siege on Abuja, particularly the outlying communities of the FCT, the Defence minister had suggested that pressures on bandits in Niger and Zamfara States might be responsible for the migration of militants to the greener pastures of Abuja. It is true that the Northwest is vast, with Niger State alone bigger than many states put together in some regions of the country, but it is unlikely to be a strong factor in the sudden upsurge of abductions. In any case, should that migration not have been anticipated and thus included in the strategy to restrict, cut off and destroy the bandits? Rather than treat attacks and kidnappings episodically, and instead of summoning security chiefs and giving them the marching order, it is time the administration carefully and intelligently understood why the attacks are happening on this scale and at this time. If it is wholly or partly politics, it should say so. And if they are convinced it is wholly or partly economic, seeing the hardship prevalent in the country, it should also admit it.
After understanding the reasons and patterns of the attacks and abductions, some of which predate the Muhammadu Buhari administration but worsened in the last eight years, the administration should then address the nation and enunciate its plans to combat the disease. Failure is not an option. The Tinubu administration has never lacked the courage to take on difficult issues, policies, or saboteurs, but it must do so from the position of knowledge. As far as this column is concerned, there is some deliberateness to the attacks and abductions, all of which seem planned to expose the government as weak or impotent, or to compel it to back off some of its stated goals and probes. The administration will of course not flag in its zeal to right decades of policy and political wrongs, no matter the cost, but it must carefully calibrate its response in such a way as not to compromise both regime security and survival. Indeed, it has a greater stake in national survival than the unscrupulous, emerging and malfeasant money power hinted at by ex-Osun governor and former APC chairman, Bisi Akande during his 85th birthday lecture. The new money power couldn’t care less what happens to the nation.
The situation is, however, not hopeless. But the Tinubu administration must reassert itself, do way with ministers and officials helping themselves to the nation’s money and creating image crisis for the administration, present itself as fair, unbiased and ethnically and religiously balanced, and with boldness and smartness take on those who have strangulated the country for decades, whether they belong to the business, political or religious class. The administration must never be perceived as weak or fearful. After diagnosing the current crisis, including identifying its tentacles, the president must sit with his security chiefs to convince himself that their comprehensive plans to curb the ongoing madness and ultimately defeat the cancer can and will work. From their plans, he will know whether he has the right men for the job. It is a shame that the intelligence services of the military and police cannot identify the dens of the militants when those who supply them food and materials can. And after ransoms have been paid, it is a far worse shame that the security services cannot follow the phone and money trails. If appointees can’t shape up, it may be time for the administration to tell them to ship out. Better their heads than the president’s.
SIR: We recall with regret the recent upsurge of insecurity exemplified by the late December 2023 killings in Plateau State, incessant killings in Katsina State, 45 passengers kidnapped as gunmen attacked transporters along Otukpo-Enugu Road and the ongoing kidnap and murder of innocent Nigerians in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) recalls that in the last 10 years, security has enjoyed the highest allocation in federal budgets to cater for the armada of security agencies maintained at the taxpayers expense. Budgetary allocations have been proposed and spent on personnel, arms and ammunition, aircraft and vessels, vehicles, equipment including intelligence gadgets. We are worried at the inability of the security agencies to deploy intelligence to prevent and nip in the bud the insensitive acts of criminal elements who have no regard for human lives. We are further worried that when these crimes have been committed, the security agencies have been unable to investigate, arrest and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Under Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, GSM SIM card numbers were linked to national identity numbers of Nigerians and the authorities indicated that it would provide a foolproof link and clue to any crimes committed using GSM phones. This raises the critical question of why the perpetrators of these high level crimes where GSM phones have been used to make contact are not brought to justice.
There have been several mop-up of light arms in the possession of law-abiding citizens and only very few Nigerians have been licensed to carry weapons. The critical question is; why take away the arms needed for self-defence if the state is not ready to defend citizens and residents of Nigeria?
The insecurity is heightened at a time Nigeria has launched a global campaign for foreign investors to come and invest in the country. News of crowdfunding for the purpose of meeting the ransom demands of kidnappers is clearly not the way to attract foreign investors.
In the circumstances, the federal government should expeditiously take steps for the amendment of the 1999 Constitution and enactment of new laws for the establishment and activation of state police. Intelligence should be mainstreamed and prioritized in policing and security work. The activation and routine deployment of the SIM GSM database and inventory for investigations and tracking of criminals is long overdue.
It is time to liberalise the processing of gun licenses for responsible law-abiding tax paying citizens for the purpose of self-defence. Nigerians need to be reassured through concrete security action on the ability of the state to protect lives and property.
SIR: My concern for the deplorable security situation in Nigeria is centred on its disruptive effects on the common hapless citizens that are being terrorized by the daredevil bandits while our politicians regale on frivolities. At present, Nigerians live like hostages in their country. In the bush, in the farm, on the highway or in homes, the terrorist can come at any time. Mobility and productive activities in Nigeria are hampered by insecurity. The bandits operate unhindered with impunity and aplomb and our security agencies appear very helpless about it.
Most worrisome is the fact that no place is safe in the country now. In the Northeast, the Boko-Haram terrorists are firmly in control with no respite in sight. In the Northwest, it is the bandits and kidnappers that hold sway, controlling a huge swathe of our territory. In the Southeast, it is the unknown gunmen that are riding roughshod on the people while in the Southwest, it the area-boys, ritual murderers, hooligans, tout, swindlers and extortionists that are seemingly in charge.
The Federal Capital Territory is not left out of the siege of insecurity. The highway from Abaji to Kogi State is in firm control of the kidnappers. The Kwali, Kuje and Gwagwalada Area Councils are besieged by bandits. The Abuja Municipal Council is not left out; armed robbers, car snatchers, swindlers and one-chance operators operate without let or hindrance. By far the most hit of the Abuja Area Councils is the Bwari where kidnappers go from house to house abducting hapless citizens making outrageous ransom demands. Media report has it that “from January 2021 to June 30th, 2023, 40 kidnap cases were recorded in FCT Abuja, with a staggering 236 victims. These incidents translate not only into human tragedies but also substantial economic losses, with verified ransom payments amounting to ¦ 653.7 million between 2021 and 2022. A 2020 report by SB Morgen further revealed that Abuja ranked 11th among places with rampant abductions, emphasizing the need for comprehensive and sustained efforts to curb this menace.”
And since the beginning of this year, there are many cases of kidnapping involving scores of victims and humongous ransom demands. On January 7, the media reports have it that a group of bandits in military camouflage invaded Sagwari Layout Estate in Dutse in Bwari Area Council of the FCT and kidnapped about 10 people. The victims include the family of one Mansoor Al-Kadriyar and his daughters and two employees of the guest house where they lodged. The bandits also kidnapped the family of one Oladosu Folorunso a lawyer kidnapping his wife and four kids. And on January 12, the kidnappers murdered one of the Kadriyar’s daughters – Nabeeha a 21-year old graduate of Biological Science from Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria due to the inability of the family to meet with the N60 million ransom demand.
On Sunday, January 14, there came the gory news of the murder of three other abductees including a 13-year old innocent secondary school girl, the daughter of an Abuja-based lawyer Oladosu Folorunso. Also at the weekend, kidnappers in military uniform stormed Dei-Dei Area along Kubwa-Zuba highway in the same Bwari Area Council and abducted about 23 people in three different housing estates. And at almost the same time it reported in the news that about two children, alongside nine adults, were also whisked away at Gbaupe village, behind Aco Estate, along Airport Road in Abuja.
It is really unfortunate that bandits and rag-tag gang of insurgents can overwhelm our national security architecture despite the huge annual budget on national security. There is urgent need to overhaul and rejig our security agencies if the country is to survive the current onslaught of the bandits and insurgents. Government should work on intelligence gathering, deploy committed officers and employ technology otherwise we may not have a country to call our own.
As 2023 winds up, the worsening state of insecurity did not abate during the year despite repeated assurances by armed forces and the federal government.
Kidnappings
Abductions for ransom were a constant feature of the outgoing year as more Nigerians including students and serving youth service corps members were seized by fiendish bandits and criminal gangs. Many of the victims were freed by security agents while others got freedom after payment of ransom.
Killings
In February, unidentified gunmen opened fire on the convoy of the immediate past governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, at Iseke in the Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State on their way to Abia State, killing three policemen attached to the ex-governor while 15 serving members of the National Youth Service Corps in the same community were abducted.
The spokesperson of the Anambra Police Command Officer, Tochukwu Ikenga, later confirmed that the corps members were rescued unhurt. In April, two female students of the Federal University, Gusau, Zamfara State were abducted in their hostel.
In May, seven NYSC members were also kidnapped on their way to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, from the NYSC orientation camp in Ondo State. They regained their freedom one week after.
Since the change of leadership from President Muhammadu Buhari to the incumbent, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on May 29, 2023, no fewer than 700 lives have been lost to terrorism, banditry, kidnappings and other criminal activities.
In June, the abduction of five students of the Federal University, Gusau, triggered a massive protest by aggrieved students of the university who blocked the road for several hours.
According to reports, in July alone, about 219 persons were killed while around 216 and 71 deaths were recorded in August and September respectively. On September 3, hoodlums suspected to be cultists killed a mentally challenged man and dismembered him in Awka, the Anambra State.
A policeman was reportedly killed and four others wounded in the early hours of October 1, in the Effium area community of the Ohankwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State while three people were also killed by bandits in the Binji Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The spate of kidnappings continued in August when eight NYSC members from Akwa Ibom were ambushed and abducted by hoodlums.
In September, no fewer than 3o persons were abducted in a university on the outskirts of GUsau, Zamfara State.
Reports also said that on October 5, no fewer than five female students of the Federal University, Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State, were abducted by suspected terrorists. According to the police, one suspect was arrested in connection with the incident
Few days later, gunmen killed a councilor in the Funtua Local Government Area of Katsina State, a family of nine in Iware village along the Fufore-Jada Road, Adamawa State, and two police officers, ASP Danjuma Joseph and Inspector Abu Elamaje in Enugu.
No fewer than 120 Boko Haram fighters were said to have been killed during an inter-factional clash with daredevil members of the Islamic State of West Africa, ISWAP.
Christmas was mixed with blood when gunmen attacked three local government areas in Plateau State killing over 195 people.
A breakdown of the figure shows that 148 were killed in Bokkos Local Government Area, 19 in Mangu Local Government Area, and 27 in Barkin Ladi. 1,290 houses were burnt down in Bokkos council, one house was razed in Mangu LGA.
Earlier in December, a military aircraft accidentally bombed Tudun Biri in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State killing over 85 villagers. The incident led to outrage as residents, civil society groups and ethnic nationalities condemned the bombing of the villagers.
President Tinubu has since ordered a probe into the incident while he also asked the military to fish out the perpetrators of the Plateau massacre.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has apologised to the relatives of victims of the accidental bombing that occurred at the Tudun Biri community in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Gen Lagbaja described the incident as “very disheartening.”
He, however, ordered an investigation into the incident, saying the probe would deter recurrence in the future.
A statement by the Director of Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu stated that the COAS said this during a condolence visit to the community.
The statement read in part: ” COAS has paid a condolence visit to Tudun Biri community in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State where he met with the Dangaladima Zazau, the District Head of Rigasa, Architect Aminu Idris, other leaders and members of the community.
“The COAS in an emotion-laden speech expressed regrets on the unfortunate mishap, describing it as a very disheartening occurrence.
“The COAS stated that he was in Tudun Biri to personally witness the site of the mishap and to convey sincere regrets and unreserved apologies on behalf of the Nigerian Army to the District Head and people of the community, as well as the government and entire people of Kaduna State.
With over 26 million Nigerians expected to face acute level of hunger and malnutrition in 2024 alone, added to the 133 million populace already grappling with multidimensional poverty as a metaphor of their existence, there are clear and present dangers over the continuous safety and security of lives of the average citizen, reports IBRAHIM APEKHADE YUSUF.
In 1672 when the famous French playwright Molière, born Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, in a moment of exasperation wrote that “it is good food and not fine words that keeps me alive,” he was actually speaking for the majority of Nigerians, who are seriously lamenting the unprecedented hunger in the land currently and can’t seem to be placated by the government’s plausible explanations that they need to endure hunger even if for a little longer still!
With an estimated 223 million people, which is equivalent to 2.78 percent of the total world population, tackling food insecurity in Nigeria should be a serious cause for concern, according to Prof. Abel Ogunwale, a professor of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomosho, Oyo State.
Ogunwale, a World Bank consultant who spoke with our correspondent recently against the backdrop of the lingering food crisis in the country, lamented the parlous state of affairs, especially in the agriculture value chain in arguably what is today the largest economy by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) size in Africa.
For many discerning Nigerians like Ogunwale, it is rather unthinkable that Nigeria, with over 70 million hectares of arable land cannot feed itself adequately and has to rely on food imports from otherwise landlocked countries.
From available information, Nigeria spends hundreds of millions of dollars annually on food imports mainly for wheat, rice, fish, yams, livestock, dairy products, and other food crops the country has the capacity to produce even on a sustainable basis.
Despite the different intervention programmes by the federal government to shore up the nation’s food production, the country recorded a food trade deficit worth N4.92 trillion between 2018 and 2022.
Specifically, the country recorded a 121.7 percent increase in the value of imported foods within the five year period, rising to N1.9 trillion in 2022 from N857 billion in 2018.
According to data obtained from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the total agricultural imports into Nigeria from 2018 to 2022 amounted to N6.916 trillion while total agricultural exports from the country within the period was N1.997 trillion, resulting in an agricultural trade deficit of N4.919 trillion.
The data also showed that there has been a steady rise in agricultural imports into the country since 2018 which recorded N857 billion imports; and rose to N959 billion in 2019; N1.2 trillion in 2020; N2 trillion in 2021; before a moderate decline to N1.9 trillion in 2022.
However, within the same period, agricultural exports from the country amounted to N302 billion in 2018; N270 billion in 2019; N322 billion in 2020; N505 billion in 2021; and N598 billion in 2022, indicating a rise of 98 percent from 2018 to 2022.
Although agriculture contributes 22 percent of the nation’s total GDP and employs over 80 percent of the population, smallholder farmers who are responsible for 90 percent of food production in Nigeria lack the resources to improve their productivity.
FG’s interventions programmes only good on paper
The federal government has over the years spent millions of dollars on various agricultural programmes to spur local food production but the received wisdom out there is that the various interventions programmes implemented through different government agencies appear to have done little to address the food crisis situation in the country.
The CBN had in mid-January 2023 revealed that it had disbursed a cumulative amount of N1.08 trillion to farmers through the Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) in the last seven years, between 2015 and 2022.
ABP was launched in November 2015 in an effort to boost agricultural production, improve foreign exchange earnings and reverse Nigeria’s negative balance of trade on food.
The apex bank further noted that between January and February 2023, the CBN disbursed N12.65 billion to three agricultural projects under the programme.
This is beside other schemes such as the Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme (CACS) and Accelerated Agricultural Development programme, amongst others, all designed to boost the nation’s food production.
These programmes, in addition to the ABP, have been valued at over N3.0 trillion over the years.
Unfortunately, analysts who have been following the implementation of the programmes have argued that there is still no significant impact as the country still has a huge supply gap in most of its staple foods, even as the population growth rate continues to soar.
Huge import bill worrisome
Certainly, to many discerning Nigerians, the enormous bill on food imports is something that calls for urgent concern.
While commenting on what he described as a very troubling phenomenon, the Chief Executive Officer, Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Dr. Muda Yusuf said, “Rising food import bill is extremely worrisome, especially for a country so richly blessed with arable land and numerous other natural resources.
“The basic problem is governance. Over the years, especially since the seventies, we have not instituted effective policies and programmes to promote investment in agriculture.
“There was practically no subsidy for agriculture for several years, whereas even in the advanced countries, billions of dollars are committed to subsidising agriculture.
“We need active government intervention with regards to agricultural inputs, technology adaptation, financing, processing, marketing, logistics, access to land and storage.
“There is a need to improve the efficiency in the entire agricultural value chain – production, processing, transportation, preservation, packaging, etc.
“It is impossible for the private sector to provide these support systems. These support systems existed in Nigeria before the incursion of the military into political governance in 1966.
“An improvement in the security situation would surely boost performance of the sector. This would impact job creation and food security in the country.”
Fear of food insecurity…
Nigeria is not totally immune to food insecurity. The fear in some quarters is that Nigeria, just like it happened in the distant past, may suffer some form of food insecurity if nothing is done to safeguard the states within the nation’s food basket from lingering insecurity, menace of flooding, poor infrastructure, etcetera.
This is in spite of the several interventions by successive governments, especially in the last 20 years or more.
While attempting a prognosis of the food crisis, Prof Ogunwale said the problem is multifaceted and as such is not a one size fits all approach.
“We have major problems hindering our food security from four perspectives. One is the issue of security threats vis-à-vis the situation in Benue, Zamfara, Jigawa, Borno, Adamawa axis and even the borderline between Nigeria and Cameroon and the other aspect is the Nigeria and Niger Republic issue,” he said.
The insecurity, he maintained, is as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency in parts of the north. “We have a lot of insurgency activities affecting those areas.”
“The second challenge, of course, is the issue of climate change. Climate change has resulted in flooding, and some devastation on the farming system,” he observed, adding that the issue of inconsistencies of government policies have seriously and negatively impacted farming activities generally.
“If the government can look into each of them, and take proactive measures against next year, we may avert serious food insecurity in Nigeria.”
Farms no longer safe
For many people, insecurity is at the heart of the matter of the food crisis in the country today. From Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo, Osun, Edo, Kogi, Delta, Benue, Kaduna, Taraba, Borno, Nasarawa, Zamfara, Sokoto, Anambra, Enugu, Imo, and other parts of the federation, the farmers have not become just endangered species but have since abandoned their farm steads, no thanks to the lingering problem of insecurity they confront on a daily basis.
The rapidity of the assaults of events on the farmlands is such that many people have even lost count of how and when it happens.
As at the time of filing in this report, news filtered in that some gunmen had sacked several communities in Taraba state, abducting a traditional ruler, a pregnant woman and her kids along with 22 others.
Amongst those kidnapped were two police officers – a sergeant attached to the monarch and an inspector who was on casual leave, residents said.
Taraba is among several states in northern and central Nigeria where bandit gangs operate, raiding villages, killing and abducting residents as well as burning and looting homes.
The criminals have been notorious for mass kidnappings of students from schools in recent years. Hundreds of thousands of people have also been displaced in rural areas in the northern and central parts of Nigeria, where bandit militias raid villages to loot and kidnap scores of residents to hold them for ransom in forest hideouts.
The heart-wrenching story of a journalist-turned-cassava-farmer, who simply wished to be identified as Adams, is an eye-opener of some sorts.
Adams, who ventured into the field of agriculture for about 24 months, said his unpleasant experience has made him give up hope about the redemption of the country.
“My actual vision was to start a 360 agric business from cultivating to processing of cassava, but Nigeria happened,” lamented the distraught Adams.
“I had over 25 hectares of cassava farm located at Owan East Local Government Area in Edo State,” he began, adding that he had undetermined the problem of insecurity on farms across the country until he literally suffered a near-death experience.
“My brother, I didn’t make any loss per se but I had to sell off all my produce and didn’t bother to reinvest again,” he recalled.
Pressed further, he said his experience with farming these past months was anything but pleasant.
“I had to shut down my farm because most of my neigbouring farmers were being kidnapped for ransom, and sometimes brutalised by suspected bandits. It got so bad that even the workforce became very difficult to find, as the majority of the Hausa men who would normally work on the farm were being hounded because they suspected that they were the ones behind the kidnapping. At the end they all left in droves because our people around here cannot easily distinguish between either a Hausa or a Fulani.”
While reiterating that the major problem of farming in the country today is that of insecurity, the budding entrepreneur said the government should stop paying lip service to the issue of insecurity.
“The lessons I learnt from your personal experience as a farmer, even if it was short-lived, showed me a lot of things. Certainly, if I must go into agric venture again, I will avoid some of the pitfalls,” he stressed.
Other factors affecting food production
Worried by the increasing cost of food and agricultural imports as a result of the government’s inability to stabilise the value of the naira against the US Greenback, the CBN had last October lifted foreign exchange restrictions for the importation of 43 items, including several food and agricultural products.
But despite this policy change, importers report continued challenges sourcing foreign exchange – as well as soft consumer demand because of the currency’s devaluation and high inflation.
A report by the NBS indicated that the downturn in food production in the country may not be attributable to the impact of insecurity alone.
The report indicated that prices of key farming inputs such as seeds, herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, and agro machinery rose sharply within the period, making it increasingly hard for farmers to expand their production and forcing many to cut down on production.
Analysts attribute this situation to the operating environment characterised by low productivity, high post-harvest losses, low-value addition, fragmented markets, and inefficient value chain logistics.
“Nigeria, like other African countries, is battling food insecurity as a result of many factors such as instability of government in neighbouring countries like Niger where we get the bulk of our rice paddies, forex scarcity, farmer herder crisis, infrastructure challenge and poor access to finance for agribusiness, etc.,” Ogunwale noted matter-of-factly, stressing that many hitherto thriving farmers especially smallholders have abandoned their passion for agriculture to become commercial motorcyclists, amongst many other less life-threatening ventures.
Imminent hunger next year!
Although Nigerians are unhappy with the unprecedented level of hunger as the year ends, indications are that next year may be even worse off.
A damning report by Cadre Harmonisé, an initiative focused on food and nutrition analysis revealed that in 2024, Nigeria is expected to see about 26.5 million people grappling with high levels of food insecurity, just as approximately 9 million children are at risk of suffering from acute malnutrition or wasting.
Of these, an alarming 2.6 million children could face Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and require critical nutrition treatment.
The Cadre Harmonisé conducts studies biannually (in March and October) across 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The latest projection for 2024 indicates a sharp rise from the 18.6 million people currently vulnerable to food insecurity from October to December 2023.
Several factors are driving this trend, including ongoing conflicts, climate change impacts, escalating inflation, and rising costs of both food and essential non-food commodities (in part due to the devaluation of the naira and the discontinuation of the fuel subsidy). Persistent violence in the north-eastern states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) hinders food availability and access.
Additionally, armed banditry and kidnappings in northwest and north-central states, including Katsina, Sokoto, Kaduna, Benue, and Niger, exacerbate the prevailing economic struggles.
Dr. Ernest Umakhihe, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, underscored the significance of the Cadre Harmonisé during a presentation in Abuja, recently.
Represented by Mrs. Fausat Lawal, Director of Special Duties, Umekhihe highlighted that despite Government efforts, external challenges like the ongoing global economic effects of COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war, which disrupts food systems, persist.
Of the 18.6 million people who experience food insecurity today, 3.3 million live in the northeastern states of the BAY region. This number might rise to 26.5 million nationwide by the height of the 2024 lean season (and to 4.4 million in the BAY states) if immediate action is not taken.
Dominique Koffy Kouacou, the FAO Representative ad interim in Nigeria and to ECOWAS, while calling on the government to expand CH coverage to the remaining 10 states said, FAO would continue to support the government and the people of Nigeria to overcome food insecurity and malnutrition.
He stated, “In 2024, alongside our partners, FAO’s focus will be on agrifood systems transformation with deliberate attention on resilience-building, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, livestock, fisheries, and providing extension services.”
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that floods in October 2023 in Adamawa impacted around 8,500 households, leading to mass displacements, particularly among women, children, and the elderly. Such extreme weather patterns, linked to the El Niño phenomenon, are further undermining food security “Food insecurity and malnutrition are among the main drivers of humanitarian need in the BAY states,” said Mr. Trond Jensen, the head of OCHA in Nigeria.
“People have been forced to adopt negative coping mechanisms such as survival sex and child labour to stay alive. Over the past year, dozens of farmers have lost their lives, and others have been abducted or injured while eking out a living outside the security perimeters of Borno’s garrison towns due to limited farming lands and few or no livelihood options.”
UNICEF’s Country Representative, Ms. Cristian Munduate, emphasised the urgent need for action.
She said, “Every child deserves proper nutrition and a life free from hunger. It’s not merely a responsibility but a moral duty for governments and the global community to ensure these rights are upheld.”
While highlighting the long-standing issue, David Stevenson, WFP’s Country Representative, said, “The hunger crisis in Nigeria, fueled by the ongoing conflict in the northeast, needs urgent addressing. Restoring peace in the northeast is critical for us to build pathways to production and achieve the northeast’s potential as the food basket of the country.”
The Cadre Harmonisé analysis covered 26 of Nigeria’s 36 states, including the FCT. It represents a collaborative effort led by the Nigerian government, in association with regional technical agencies,
Nigeria not alone
An estimated 50 million people in West, Central Africa are expected to go hungry next year due to a combination of conflict, climate change and high food prices, the United Nations has revealed.
The figure is 4% higher than in 2023. In coastal countries, the number of people facing acute hunger is expected to reach 6.2 million in 2024, up 16% from this year, according to a new regional food security analysis released by the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) and other humanitarian agencies.
“Acute hunger remains at record levels in the region, yet funding needed to respond is not keeping pace,” said Margot Vandervelden, WFP’s acting regional director for Western Africa.
“Insufficient funding means the moderately hungry will be forced to skip meals and consume less nutritious food, putting them at risk of falling back into crisis or emergency phases, perpetuating the cycle of hunger and malnutrition,” she said.
More than two out of three households in West and Central Africa cannot afford healthy diets, the analysis found.
The cost of a daily nutritious diet in the central Sahel countries Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger is 110% higher than the daily minimum wage in the region, it said.
Sahel countries are facing an Islamist insurgency that has displaced some four million people from their homes and farms, according to U.N. figures. Democratic Republic of Congo also has multiple ongoing conflicts that have displaced nearly seven million.
The Sahel crisis has pushed people to seek refuge in neighbouring coastal countries such as Ivory Coast, Togo and Ghana, which is grappling with its worst economic crisis in a generation.
“Almost 80% of people who are currently in a difficult food situation are in areas affected by conflict,” said Ollo Sib, a senior research adviser for the WFP.
He warned that without intervention, the situation could deteriorate further in certain areas as over 2.6 million people were at risk of falling into famine.
Way forward
In the view of Rotimi Opeyemi Olawale, CEO of JR Farms Limited, a leading agribusiness venture operates within few countries in Africa and Europe including Nigeria, Rwanda, Zambia and also the in Netherlands, at the root of the crisis of food insecurity plaguing Nigeria is poor farm systems and general insecurity.
While offering recommendations to tackle the food crisis in Nigeria, Olawale said there is a need to transit from smallholder farms to large farms.
“We cannot have food security when our food security model as a country is dependent on smallholder farmers- smallholder farmers are generally vulnerable and victims of risks, they also operate on a small scale without use of technologies that can accelerate food production,” he said.
Pressed further, he said, “66% of food sales in the US come from commercial farms which constitute less than 10% of the farming population. We need commercial farms in Nigeria. Over the years the government has rolled out several interventions in the past for smallholder farmers that did not produce good results, this must change as such the government should develop frameworks and interventions for commercial farms. This would ensure more food can be produced in large quantities to meet growing demand for food.”
On how to tackle the intractable problem of insecurity, he said the government must be ready to live up to its constitutional mandate of providing safety and security for the citizenry.
“In the past eight years, insecurity has driven many farmers out of farms and displaced many, many factory owners in rural areas have also been affected by kidnapping, killings among others. As part of the major ways to tackle the food crisis, farms and rural areas must be made safe and secure for farmers, investors, and food factories to operate.”
Also worrisome is the fact that the dearth of road infrastructure within and around local communities remains a disincentive to farming.
“Rural and major highways connecting farms to market are still in bad condition, this makes it difficult for trucks conveying food items to reach the market thereby leading to food losses. For example, over 60% of food items get wasted in Nigeria and the poor road network is one of the reasons. Trucks carrying perishables are stuck on the road for many days due to bad roads. Good roads are important for transportation of food from farm to market (city) hence ensuring food security.”
Also with the federal government already setting machinery in motion with a raft of policy interventions, it is expected that things would change for the better in no distant time.
Peter Adebola, an economic analyst, shares Olawale’s sentiments completely.
According to him, until the government addresses the twin issues of insecurity as well as boost commercial agriculture, the populace will continue to face acute hunger.
Thankfully, one of the blessed assurances of better things to come is the proposal by the African Development Bank to invest $1billion into Nigeria’s agricultural sector in order to ensure massive job opportunities and food security.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari dropped this hint during a press briefing with State House Correspondents after the conclusion of the 137th National Economic Council meeting presided over by Vice-President Kashim Shettima at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, recently.
The Obi of Onitsha, Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, has endorsed the non kinetic approach of resolving the violence in the south east region of the country.
The approach is being canvassed by the Peace in South East Project (PISE-P) initiated by the members of the National Assemby from the region led by the Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu.
The initiative has also received massive support and endorsement from the Presidency, the National Assemby leadership, the business and corporate worlds as well as the entertainment industry among others.
Speaking on Wednesday night when Kalu led a delegation of the PISE-P members to pay him a courtesy call in Abuja, Achebe commended the initiative, saying it was time restore peace in the south east.
He said: “Your spirit is in the right direction. We are looking for the same thing. We just have to join forces and make things happen. We want peace and reconciliation in Igboland. Our strength is in what we can do for ourselves”, he said.
Kalu said that PISE-P was conceived to address the sociological challenges in the south east, stressing kinetic means had not solved the issues of the region.
According to him: “That’s why we came up with this concept to use the non kinetic approach, using these pillars that will include integration through infrastructures, skills acquisition, education, etc, to appeal to our people to calm down not to depending on the government alone. Time will not allow me to go through all of them but this is something that has been welcomed massively.”
PISE-P is expected to be formally unveiled in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State on December 29, 2023.
Insecurity is causing huge economic losses in the South Eastern and slowing down the region’s progress, House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu said yesterday.
The prevailing situation, Kalu noted, was not only affecting the Southeast, but rubbing off on the country.
Speaking when a group of Nollywood actors and musical icons from the Southeast visited him to show support for the Peace in South East Project, Kalu claimed the region has lost over N3.8 trillion in revenue to the sit-at-home while the transport sector has lost about N13 billion.
He lamented that insecurity has crippled small businesses, brought nightlife to a halt with fear becoming the order of the day.
He said: “A shadow now falls across a section of the nation. The vibrant streets of the Southeast, once bursting with creative energy, now echo with the whisper of fear. The economic engine that powered your dreams and fueled your talents is taking an unfortunate halt. It calls for a concern.
“You will agree with me that the statistics paint a grim picture: trading losses of up to N3.8 trillion due to the sit-at-home on Mondays, transportation sector losses of up to N13 billion, and small businesses have been crippled by daily losses due to the violence.
“The transportation and nightlife sectors, lifelines for countless artists and vendors, stand decimated. This is not just a statistic; it is a human story – your story, the story of your colleagues, your families and your communities. And I know that you know that this is real. It has affected part of us and all of us”.
Stressing that the shadow cast by insecurity extends beyond economic losses to suffocating the very breath of creativity, Kalu recalled the days of vibrant highlife rhythms filling the airwaves and the captivating storytelling of the “New Masquerade” with Chief Zebrudaya.
He said: “Fertile ground for artistic expression has grown barren. Fear stifles collaboration, and inspiration withers under the weight of uncertainty. Young talents daily flee in search of an environment where their dreams can take flight, leaving the region’s cultural landscape depleted.
“If it doesn’t hurt or give you a concern, it does to me, not just as the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, as the eye of the Southeast in the federal government, but as a person and lover of the south east and Nigeria.
“The ripple effects of insecurity touch every fiber of society. From shuttered shops to deserted streets, social life and cultural vibrancy are dimmed. Man hours lost add up to diminished national GDP, a blow not just to the Southeast’s economy, but to the entire nation’s progress.
“We face a stark reality, most talented young people, including you seated here, do not find the Southeast an enabling environment for their aspirations. This exodus cripples not just your industry, but the arteries of national success because your success in your field is the success of the region, the nation and the world.
“What you create in your little corners across south east resonates across the globe. I hear them when I walk through the halls of malls, streets of malls all around the world. People celebrate you and this is why this engagement is important.”
The deputy speaker also lamented the decline in the Igbo apprenticeship system which was once lauded by Harvard and credited with fueling post-civil war recovery said this system and its potential decline and contribution to the present challenges in the region must be critically examined.
He said: “When fear curtails movement, when creativity is choked by the grip of violence, the very lifeblood of economic growth stagnates.
“We cannot prosper when artists cannot perform; when businesses cannot operate; when the vibrant heartbeat of the region is silenced. You have a role to play. You are important, that’s why you are in this room.”
“In our stakeholders mapping, you occupy a very important position. Not the business men, politicians alone but you because through your arts, you engage with the people. You stimulate a socialization process that through acculturation lives are changed, mindsets of people are channeled towards what will build us rather than what will destroy us.
“You are important. We recognize that. Your gifts must be celebrated. This time around it will be celebrated in peace. You will start a conversation with your gifts. Your gift is what that region and the nation need because you construct the nation through your actions. We need your input. And I pray you will answer this clarion call for nation building.
“Do we want a South East where all the best of us in the creative economy have to carry out all their artistic endeavors outside the region due to the insecurity?
“Yet, even in the face of such darkness, your light shines brighter; you, who build bridges with melody, and forge connections through shared laughter and tears in movies and comic skits, know this: Peace is not merely the absence of violence; it is the symphony of hope and opportunity sung in unison.
“According to the late George Obiozor, who was a quintessential Elder statesman during his impactful time with us, ‘the Igbos are not at war with anybody’, and rightly so.
“This profound statement asks us to transcend conflict and embrace the shared humanity that binds us. It urges us to seek understanding over division, and collaboration over discord.
“The Igbos, known for their resilience and entrepreneurial spirit have always sought to build bridges and not walls, their history is one of overcoming adversity, not perpetuating it. In this spirit, let us honor Obiozor’s words by building a future where dialogue replaces violence, and cooperation fuels progress.
“That is why, in response to the challenges of the Southeast, a different kind of song is rising – the song of the Peace in Southeast Project (PISE-P). PISE-P is not about guns and boots; for the sounds of fun and the barrels of guns have not helped us in solving the problem in south east.
“Militarisation has not helped us. Kinetic approach to resolving the problem has not been the best solution. If it is not, then there must be something out there that is better than the guns. It is about education, entrepreneurship, infrastructure, and cultural revival. It is about restoring the fertile ground where your talents can take root and soar.”
Zack Orji said: “We are willing to partner with you. We have some projects; in due time we will be discussing some of it with you. We are looking forward to 29 December when we will be in one place to drive a message home. We are optimistic thereafter there will be peace in the Southeast”.
Also, Benedict Johnson said: “Igbos are not known for killing each other, we are highly hospitable people. I plead with my colleagues to take this very seriously. We should mobilise people and make them understand the importance of peace in the Southeast.”
The deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has said that the insecurity pervading the southeastern part of the country has led to huge losses to the region in particular and the entire country at large.
Kalu, who spoke when a group of Nollywood actors and musical icons from the southeast visited him to show support for the peace in southeast project said the region has lost over N3.8 trillion in revenue to the sit at home while the transport sector has lost about N13 billion.
The deputy speaker also said the insecurity las led to crippled small businesses, while night life has been brought to naught with fear becoming the order of the day, while south easterners no longer want to visit the region.
He said: “A shadow now falls across a section of the nation. The vibrant streets of the South East, once bursting with creative energy, now echo with the whisper of fear. The economic engine that powered your dreams and fueled your talents is taking an unfortunate halt. It calls for a concern.
“You will agree with me that the statistics paint a grim picture: trading losses of up to N3.8 trillion due to the sit-at-home on Mondays, transportation sector losses of up to N13 billion, and small businesses have been crippled by daily losses due to the violence.
“The transport and nightlife sectors, lifelines for countless artists and vendors, stand decimated. This is not just a statistic; it is a human story – your story, the story of your colleagues, your families, and your communities. And I know that you know that this is real. It has affected part of us and all of us.”
While stressing that the shadow cast by insecurity extends far beyond economic losses, suffocating the very breath of creativity, Kalu recalled the days of vibrant Highlife rhythms filling the airwaves and the captivating storytelling of “New Masquerade” with Chief Zebrudaya?
He added: “That fertile ground for artistic expression has grown barren. Fear stifles collaboration, and inspiration withers under the weight of uncertainty. Young talents daily flee in search of an environment where their dreams can take flight, leaving the region’s cultural landscape depleted.
“If it doesn’t hurt or give you a concern, it does to me, not just as the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, as the eye of the South East in the federal government, but as a person and lover of the south east and Nigeria.
“The ripple effects of insecurity touch every fiber of society. From shuttered shops to deserted streets, social life and cultural vibrancy are dimmed. Man hours lost add up to diminished national GDP, a blow not just to the South East’s economy, but to the entire nation’s progress.
“We face a stark reality – most talented young people, including yourselves seated here, do not find the Southeast an enabling environment for their aspirations. This exodus cripples not just your industry, but the arteries of national success because your success in your field is the success of the region, the nation and the world.
“What you create in your little corners across south east resonates across the globe. I hear them when I walk through the halls of malls, streets of malls all around the world. People celebrate you and this is why this engagement is important.”
The deputy speaker who lamented the decline in the Igbo Apprenticeship System which was once lauded by Harvard and credited with fueling post-civil war recovery said this system and its potential decline and contribution to the present challenges in the region must be critically examined.
He maintained that while the economy thrives on the free flow of people and ideas, saying “when fear curtails movement, when creativity is choked by the grip of violence, the very lifeblood of economic growth stagnates.
Kalu noted: “We cannot prosper when artists cannot perform; when businesses cannot operate; when the vibrant heartbeat of the region is silenced. You have a role to play. You are important that’s why you are in this room.
“In our stakeholders mapping, you occupy a very important, extremely position. Not the business men, politicians alone but you because through your arts, you engage with the people. You stimulate a socialization process that through acculturation lives are changed, mindsets of people are channeled towards what will build us rather than what will destroy us.
“You are important. We recognize that. Your gifts must be celebrated. This time around it will be celebrated in peace. You will start a conversation with your gifts. Your gift is what that region and the nation need because you construct the nation through your actions. We need your input. And I pray you will answer this clarion call for nation building.
“Do we want a southeast where all the best of us in the creative economy have to carry out all their artistic endeavors outside the region due to the insecurity?
“Yet, even in the face of such darkness, your light shines brighter. You, who build bridges with melody, and forge connections through shared laughter and tears in movies and comic skits, know this: Peace is not merely the absence of violence; it is the symphony of hope and opportunity sung in unison”.
“According to the late George Obiozor, who was a quintessential Elder statesman during his impactful time with us, “The Igbos are not at war with anybody”, and rightly so. This profound statement asks us to transcend conflict and embrace the shared humanity that binds us. It urges us to seek understanding over division, and collaboration over discord.
“The Igbos, known for their resilience and entrepreneurial spirit, have always sought to build bridges, not walls. Their history is one of overcoming adversity, not perpetuating it. In this spirit, let us honor Obiozor’s words by building a future where dialogue replaces violence, and cooperation fuels progress.
“That is why, in response to the challenges of the South East, a different kind of song is rising – the song of the Peace in South East Project (PISE-P). PISE-P is not about guns and boots; for the sounds of fun and the barrels of guns have not helped us in solving the problem in south east.
“Militarization has not helped us. Kinetic approach to resolving the problem has not been the best solution. If it is not, then there must be something out there that is better than the guns. It is about education, entrepreneurship, infrastructure, and cultural revival. It is about restoring the fertile ground where your talents can take root and soar.
“These are the tools, pillars upon which PISE-P stands. How do we use what we have to create peace? How do we use what we have to create peace? How do we bring in those one who are in the bush, offer them free education to train? How do we use entrepreneurial skills to give them sense of inclusion by telling those people who are angry and agitating?
“We can help you start a life. How do we use agriculture, we have arable land, fertile land across south east, how do we introduce mechanized farming, increase more people that we will employ there, reduce unemployment rate in the south east, calms the nerves of those who are agitating, focus them where they can go and produce more for the nation through our region.
“How do you use infrastructure? How do we bring in those in the hinterlands and calms the nerves of those who feel they are not included. I can go on and on. This is what PISE-P stands for. We can no longer wait for government to do it for us. That’s why we are coming up with this platform which we must buy into to raise funds all around the world.
“There are organizations that are interested in peace and if building infrastructure will bring peace, they will come. If building those health centres will bring peace, they will come and partner with us.
“If redefining agriculture to mechanized farming will bring peace, they will come. If increasing the number of class room blocks will bring peace, they will come. But they are looking for a platform. PISE-P is that platform”.
“Non kinetic approach to conflict resolution is the new thing. It has worked in so many places and it is going to work in south east. I am tired of the blood of my brothers on the streets. You should be. Whatever explanation that is given behind it is irrelevant.
He further stated: “I am tired of the market being burned down. I am tired. You should be. I am tired of students not going to school on Monday, losing their aspiration in academic and education, of you are not tired, I am and you should be.
“I am tired of complaining of government not building infrastructure when we can come together through the gifts God can has given to us, use a platform that many organizations around the world are looking for to be able to intervene. I can’t wait for the government anymore. They will do their part; we will do our part. Let’s think about what we can do for Nigeria starting from our zone and I know you can do it.
“Let us, in the spirit of your craft, rewrite the narrative. Let us replace the discord of violence with the harmonious chords of collaboration. Let us ensure that the South East becomes, once again, not just a stage for your talents, but a canvas for your dreams to flourish.”
In their separate responses, the Nollywood stars promised to be part of the project with their creative talents and skills to restore peace in the south east.
Zack Orji said: “We are willing to partner with you. We have some projects; in due time we will be discussing some of it with you. We are looking forward to 29 December where we will be in one place to drive a message home. We are optimistic thereafter there will be peace in the South East.”
Similarly, Benedict Johnson said: “I’m supporting this cause because I want a safe Igboland. Igbos are not known for killing each other, we are highly hospitable people. I plead with my colleagues to take this very seriously. We should mobilise people and make them understand the importance of peace in the southeast.”
On his part, Fransis Duru said: “I am elated because you presented a problem, defined an approach and embraced a technique. A non-kinetic approach. I hope you will not go off.
“There are so many persons waiting for this. You called, we answered, but let it not be said we answered and you left us. Please, don’t let the candle go off. We’ve started and we are not going back.”
Yul Edochie on his own said: “History will be kind to you, sir. You have started something laudable. We are in support of this. We can come up with a lot of strategies for peace in the Southeast.”
The Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon Philip Agbese, has lauded the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Chris Musa, for being proactive in the fight against banditry and insurgency across the country.
He also lauded the Commandant of Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Major General John Ochayi for being professional and transparent in handling the affairs of the academy since his resumption June this year.
He made the commendations yesterday, when the duo appeared before the House Committee on Defence for the scrutiny of the 2024 proposals for the Military (Defence).
According to Agbese, the Armed Forces has made appreciable progress in taming the scourge of insecurity in Nigeria.
He said the lawmakers were proud of them.
“We must acknowledge the laudable achievements in fighting terrorism, insurgency and banditry in Nigeria. Since you resumed as head of the Armed Forces under the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, you have proven to be a round peg in a round hole.
“You and your men have tackled insecurity head-on and we as Lawmakers are proud of you, Nigerians are proud of you and I’m sure the President would be happy he didn’t make mistakes appointing you and others. We are equally proud of the NDA Commandant for the progress made so far at the academy. He is a professional, courageous and visionary officer”, Agbese said.
He, however, urged the Armed Forces to continue to improve on its operations and intelligence gathering, to be able to win the war against insecurity, continually.
Members of the House Committee on Defence, took turns to appreciate the military, saying the Armed Forces needed more support and boost in their quest to keep defending the territorial integrity of Nigeria.
On his part, the chairman, House Committee on Defence, Hon. Babajimi Benson, assured that the legislative Committee would do all it could to ensure the fight against insecurity was won through legislative interventions.
He said, “We understand that you live in a very challenging situation. We understand that you need money for barracks, weapons, and aircraft, and funds are limited. On behalf of my committee, we say well done”.
Hon. Benson acknowledged the fact that the defence sector was being underfunded and promised to liaise with the leadership of the House to see what more could be done to improve the funding.
In his remarks, the CDS, thanked the Lawmakers for acknowledging the efforts of the military, while pledging to thoroughly investigate the bombing incident in Kaduna recently.
