Several Nigerians have reacted differently to the appeal by President Muhammadu Buhari to the US Secretary of State in a virtual conferencing on Tuesday for military assistance to Nigeria in order to contain the intractable insecurity, essentially, banditry, kidnapping, increasing attacks on police and army facilities, including the Boko Haram terrorists, across the country.
President Buhari was widely perceived to have succumbed to the violence of the bandits, Boko Haram terrorists, killer herdsmen and the emerging gunmen attacking and destroying police and army facilities as well as killing security operatives, tentatively admitting the incapacitation of the nigerian military and police to restore security in the country.
The capture of several communities and hoisting of Islam state flags in Niger State by Boko Haram terrorists, revealed deepening insecurity and build up capacity to overrun the Nigerian state.
However, an aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Doyin Okupe, joined other stakeholders in the polity to question why President Buhari had to wait for the Secretary of State before seeking help from the US.
“Why should we wait for the US Secretary of State to come and tell us what to do?
“For the first time in my 40 years of political life, I am fearful and apprehensive. I am tired and weary. I am saddened, sorrowful and tearful. Even the present situation is NOT beyond Redemption,” Doyin Okupe had protested on his tweeter handle @doyinokupe.
A stakeholder in the polity, however, added @Invisibleshoep1
“It all done on us to review our political system, many came to political power through the extremist platform and politics of hate speeches and through religion intolerance instead willingness to serve humanity, all this birthchild of politicians.”
Another stakeholder endorsed President Buhari’s move to involve US in Nigeria’s security system to eliminate Boko Haram, bandits, kidnappers and others.
He had declared @jameelrabo
that “even America turns to its allies in terms of need. Nigeria must seek for help in this time of crisis. This might be the end of this scourge.”
Okupe may have been making reference to noticeable poor handling of Nigeria’s bilateral and multilateral diplomatic relations.