Senator Ali Ndume insisted that the Federal Government needs to increase its total military spending to be able to tackle the rising insecurity in Nigeria which has seen a number of school students in 2021 kidnapped by bandits.
The Senator disclosed this in an interview with Channels TV on Sunday evening.
“We have the forces on ground, but they need what it takes especially more equipments.
“All these take a lot of money, and they need to be given those things in order for them to perform.
“The number one priority is ammunition and those are lacking. They are not sufficient enough,” the Senator said.
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Senator Ndume said that the Nigerian Air Force must have the air capabilities that translate to things like fighter jets, helicopters, etc. Ndume said that the military must be given adequate training in order to be able to manage such equipment.
He added that Nigeria is placed in an unfortunate position, which has seen it lacking in air defense capabilities and revealed the build-up to higher military equipment purchase is not easy.
He called for the FG to explore all options, in order to make sure that the Nigerian armed forces have all that they need to rise up to the challenge of insecurity.
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He said, “I am not satisfied. The funding of the armed forces and security agencies is not enough, compared to our population of over N200 million.
“When you look at current military spending, compared to other poor countries around, we are not doing enough, we have to do more.”
Insecurity Situation in Nigeria
- In recent years, insecurity in the country has heightened with Boko Haram terrorism, herders-farmers clashes, attacks and kidnappings by bandits, etc.
- Nairametrics reported that President Muhammadu Buhari said the Federal Government will not succumb to blackmail by bandits who target innocent school students in the expectation of huge ransom payments.