A Member of the House of Representatives from Borno State, Ahmed Jaha, has advised the federal government to seek the services of foreign mercenaries to sustainably combat insecurity ravaging the country.
Jaha who represents Chibok/Domboa/Gwoza federal constituency made this known during Tuesday’s plenary session, lamenting that the security agencies have failed Nigerians woefully.
The lawmaker was contributing to a motion on the death of one Onumegbu Ifeanyi, a civil servant in Abia, allegedly killed by a naval officer in Rivers state.
Jaha stressed that former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration was battered with the challenges of insecurity from Boko Haram, and he procured the services of mercenaries to partner with the Nigerian Army in the war against terrorism in the northern part of the country.
But his successor, former President Muhammadu Buhari, a retired military general, terminated the contract describing it as “shameful”.
According to Jaha, the security agencies have failed to end violent attacks across the country despite huge allocations of funds to the tune of “N19 trillion” in the past eight years.
“We can bring in mercenaries. It was attempted during President Goodluck Jonathan, they were about to finish Boko Haram. The new president (Muhammadu Buhari) was convinced, and he moved them out of the country, and the insecurity keeps on escalating to other parts of the country,” Jaha said.
“We are going to organise a movement to present a position paper on the attempt to bring mercenaries to bring an end to insecurity since our security agencies have failed Nigerians.
“In as much as a substantial amount of money is not going to be allocated or will continue to be allocated to security agencies, insecurity will never come to an end in Nigeria.
“From 2015 to 2023, more than N19 trillion was allocated to security and security-related sectors in Nigeria. Whereas, we have an alternative.”
After the adoption of the motion, the House asked the Nigerian Navy to conduct a “thorough and impartial investigation” into the events that led to the death of Onumaegbu and identify the culprits.
The Green Chamber also urged the FG to provide adequate support and compensation to the family of the deceased.
