By: Manoah Kikekon
N
.jpeg) | ||
| Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar III. |
Sultan of Sokoto Sa'ad Abubakar ll believes it will take Nigeria decades to overcome banditry and its devastating consequences.
"We need to be honest with ourselves. "What we must do is confront these bandits because we all know the consequences of banditry and insurgency on our lives," Mr Abubakar stated. "But it will take decades to get out of it, if we get out at all. "We are all aware of the consequences and problems."
Mr Abubakar, the president general of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), stated on Monday at the two-day North-West Peace and Security Summit in Katsina that criminal activity in the region will only be reduced with the cooperation of northern stakeholders.
"I'd like to say that no matter how much support you give us, if we're not ready and willing to put an end to these criminal activities, we won't succeed. If we want to, we can work together to solve this problem. "Nobody will come from the moon to solve our problems," Mr Abubakar stated.
The cleric lamented the ongoing insecurity in North-East Nigeria, despite several stakeholder peace summits and the federal government's massive resources to combat it.
"Most people here gathered are familiar with the causes and as well as the consequences of insecurity in this part of the country for the last one decade," Mr. Abubakar explained.
"Reports after reports, conferences after conferences, consultations after consultations, and, of course, recommendations after recommendations—the problem remains. Why?"
He went on to say, "It is time to ask why things are still the way they are today, despite millions of dollars spent on equipment for services and personnel safety. We need to ask this question to determine how to proceed. We cannot move forward unless we answer this question. We will only return to another conference to discuss the same issue and problem."
The two-day North-West Peace and Security Summit takes place amid banditry in the region and neighbouring states.
Bandits have continued to kill and kidnap for ransom across Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, Zamfara, and Niger states in various coordinated attacks.
The summit was attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Tinubu, former President Muhammadu Buhari, Katsina Governor Dikko Radda, Minister of Defence Muhammad Badaru, and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, among others.