Tinubu promises to create Nigerian Army anti-terrorist battalion if elected president

FORMER Lagos State governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has promised to establish a highly-trained anti-terrorist battalion of the Nigerian Army if elected president next year.

In February, Nigeria's goes to the polls and Asiwaju Tinubu is one of the frontrunners in what is increasingly looking like a three-horse race between the APC, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party. Yesterday, Asiwaju Tinubu launched his 80-page manifesto titled Renewed Hope 2023, Action Plan for a Better Nigeria in Abuja in which he detailed his security plans.

Since the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office in 2015, Nigeria has been living with a security crisis. Terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, rape, wanton killings and communal violence are now daily occurrences in Nigeria as hoodlums operate with total impunity.

Overwhelmed by the crisis, the security forces appear totally outnumbered and their efforts are further compromised by the collusion of some of their members with the criminals. Acknowledging that something must be done about the crisis, Asiwaju Tinubu gas unveiled plans that include restructuring of both the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

During his manifesto launch, he provided assurances that the police would be repositioned to deliver on its primary duties of community policing and maintaining law and order through crime fighting and prevention. In addition, Asiwaju Tinubu noted that the police personnel would be freed from extraneous duties such as VIP protection and guard duties.

Asiwaju Tinubu said: “Highly trained and disciplined anti-terrorist battalions with special forces units will be created. Their objective shall be to seize the strategic and tactical initiative currently in the hands of terrorists, kidnappers and bandits.

“Military units will be better equipped with tactical communications gear and new vehicles to give them a greater communications and mobility advantage over criminals, bandits and terrorists. We will further modernise our armed forces by ensuring that our weapons systems  are capable of addressing current and anticipated security threats in the modern world, which  shall also mean the recruitment of people who possess the technical skills required for today’s military.”

He stressed that if elected, his government would reduce the country’s dependence on imported foreign military equipment by ramping up domestic production of basic and essential military hardware and equipment, including small arms and ammunition. Also Asiwaju Tinubu explained that his government would implement measures to eliminate attacks on vital national infrastructure, saying this would be known as Critical Infrastructure Protection Plan.

Asiwaju Tinubu added: “Police reform will be focused on positioning the institution to better deliver on its primary duties of community policing and maintaining law and order through crime fighting and prevention. Police personnel will be freed from extraneous duties such as VIP security and guard duties.

“VIP security and provision of security for government buildings, installations and other critical assets will be transferred to The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). The NSCDC shall be evaluated and reformed to be better integrated with our internal security apparatus.”

He pointed out that integral to this security effort would be the deployment of modern technologies, tools and equipment to end crude oil theft. He added that the plan would include preventing the vandalization of national assets and reduce, to the barest minimum, environmental pollution in the Niger Delta.