The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), South-West Region, has appealed to the federal government to declare a state of emergency on insecurity to curb the rising wave of kidnapping, banditry and violent crimes across the country.
The association said the growing spate of abductions and attacks in Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo, Lagos and several other parts of Nigeria had heightened fear and uncertainty among the citizens, warning that the situation now poses a serious threat to national peace and stability.
In a statement issued yesterday by its chairman, Bishop Tunde Akin-Akinsanya, the South-West CAN described the worsening security situation as a recurring national tragedy that requires urgent and decisive intervention from government at all levels.
The body condemned the continued abduction of innocent citizens and expressed sympathy with victims, their families and communities affected by the growing insecurity. It also prayed for the safe release of those still being held captive by kidnappers.
According to the association, governments must move beyond rhetoric and adopt extraordinary measures to tackle what it described as a national emergency. It urged security agencies to deploy every available resource, technology and intelligence-gathering mechanism to confront criminal elements terrorising communities.
CAN specifically called on the Federal Government to review and strengthen the nation’s security architecture by equipping security agencies with modern surveillance technology, drones, intelligence systems, communication gadgets and rapid-response capabilities.
The statement reads in part “The time has come for governments at all levels to move beyond rhetoric and adopt extraordinary measures to confront this national emergency. Every available security resource, technology, and intelligence-gathering mechanism should be fully deployed to combat the criminal elements terrorising our communities.
”The Federal Government should immediately review and strengthen the nation’s security architecture and ensure that all security agencies are adequately equipped with modern surveillance technology, drones, intelligence systems, communication gadgets, and rapid-response capabilities necessary for effective contemporary security operations.”
The association further urged the Federal Government to seek technical and intelligence support from friendly nations and international security partners, noting that some criminal networks operating in the country had become increasingly sophisticated.
It also renewed calls for the establishment of state police, urging the Federal Government to expedite efforts toward making the initiative a reality, saying decentralised policing would improve local security management and response to threats.
Addressing governors in the South-West region, CAN said forests, highways, farms and border communities were becoming increasingly vulnerable to criminal infiltration and urged the governors to strengthen regional security collaboration, improve surveillance and support community-based intelligence gathering.
The association also advised Nigerians to remain vigilant, avoid unnecessary journeys through high-risk areas, promptly report suspicious activities to security agencies and continue praying for peace, security and national healing.
