Yakubu Maikyau, the president of the Nigerian Bar Association, has attributed the Plateau killings on a breakdown in intelligence.
This comes as he denounced the terrorist attacks on Plateau State villages on December 24 that left over 200 people dead.
Akorede Habeeb-Lawal, the association’s national publicity secretary, made this information available in the New Year’s address on Tuesday.
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In addition to calling the incidents “inexcusable and unacceptable,” Maikyau added that a recent drone attack in Tudun Biri, Kaduna state, by the Nigerian military demonstrated a weakness in the nation’s security framework.
According to reports, the military launched an airstrike on Tudun Biri in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Sunday, December 3, with the intention of targeting militants. More than a hundred villagers were murdered in the bombing, which was allegedly unintentional, during a Maulud festival.
According to him, “From the information made available by the military and other security sources, the Tudun Biri incident is suggestive of the gap in our security architecture – lack of inter-agency synergy and coordination, while the attack in Plateau is indicative of poor intelligence gathering or, a deliberate failure to act despite the intelligence on the impending attacks on the villages, or notice of the attack on the villages by the bandits, as reported by community leaders.”
Maikyau said the government should be more responsive to security loopholes in the country and prioritise the safety of the lives and property of citizens at all times
“The government must make sure that no square inch of Nigerian territory is left ungoverned; no part of Nigeria should be left under the control of criminal elements by whatever name so called,” he declared, referring to the Armed Forces and other security services. The government must consciously invest in security on a size and scope that would ensure Nigerians will never question the President’s sincerity.
“The Federal Government must take a comprehensive approach to the security issue, keeping in mind the unique characteristics of each region and creating customized solutions to address them. Accordingly, the government shouldn’t be “scared” or “ashamed” to allocate funds for security in a way that keeps pace with international trends.
In addition, he urged the government to enact economic measures that would reduce poverty and deal with issues of inequality and instability in the nation, promising that the NBA will fulfill its responsibility to hold the government responsible.