Deal with terrorists, cleric urges Tinubu

The leader of Moitaliatu Church of God, Apostle Gabriel Akinadewo, has urged President Bola Tinubu to address the resurgence of insecurity in Nigeria by confronting terrorists, bandits and kidnappers head-on.

Akinadewo, who stressed the dire situation where religious leaders on missionary journeys were being kidnapped and sometimes killed, said there was the need for the president to restructure the nation’s security architecture.

Speaking at the 60th anniversary of his church in Ondo West, Ondo State, Akinadewo questioned why Nigeria was not fully utilising its intelligence capabilities to combat the criminal activities of bandits who undermined government’s efforts.

He said, “The government must act decisively to ensure the safety of Nigerians. The ongoing insecurity is detrimental to the country’s economy. Once these criminals are apprehended, they must be dealt with harshly. Whether they are terrorists, bandits or kidnappers, the government must neutralise them to restore peace.”

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He expressed frustration that Nigeria, despite being able to send soldiers to Sierra Leone to maintain peace, struggled to achieve the same level of security within its own borders.

Akinadewo, therefore, stressed that effective intelligence gathering was crucial, and that the bandits, estimated to be around 20,000 to 30,000, should be identifiable and apprehensible through robust intelligence efforts.

Akinadewo criticised the over-reliance on spiritual solutions for what he viewed as fundamentally political and security challenges.

He urged the Tinubu administration to prioritise action over sentiment in tackling insecurity.

Addressing economic issues, Akinadewo called on President Tinubu to rethink his policies and expand his economic advisory team to include private sector experts. He pointed out that economic stability was critical, especially given the hunger and unemployment currently plaguing the nation.