Former Governor Gabriel Suswam of  Benue State has canvassed for a stiffer punishment and prompt prosecution of arrested members of terrorist groups in Nigwr.

According to him, such act will deter others from such callous and criminal activities.

Suswam, who gave the advice while speaking on an Arise Television programme, attributed the persistent attacks by killer herders, banditry, and other terrorist activities to the government’s consistent failure to identify and sanction those responsible.

The former governor explained that inability to punish the perpetrators of such criminal acts by the appropriate authorities had emboldened them to continue their activities without fear of repercussions.

He, however, warned that the country was degenerating into lawlessness, as sponsors of these “treacherous acts” operate with impunity, knowing they are shielded from the rule of law.

He also accused the authorities of shielding the masterminds of terrorism by failing to reveal their identities.Happiness For 57 Ye

So This Happened (EP 295) Review OnlyFans Model Charged with Murder After Fetish Session Turns Fata “I think the Federal Government needs to step up. There’s lip service being paid to the security of the country. I believe that the security of this country is purely in the hands of the Federal Government because it controls the instrument of coercion —the military, the police, immigration, and even the prisons—so it must take decisive action.

“If we have incessant attacks or incessant security problems, I believe that what the Federal Government needs to do is to put in place a system or an architecture that will be sustainable, an architecture that will not just be on an ad hoc basis and will stop engaging in this fire brigade approach. And so once that is done, we’ll be able to address it. And then there must be some serious sanctions,” Suswam said.

“The insecurity persists because not enough is being done. No individuals have been singled out and sanctioned. Sanctions serve as deterrents, but when criminals see that nothing is done, they become more daring. This is why identifying and prosecuting those responsible is crucial,” Suswam said.

He added, “Once they see that nothing serious is being done, they get more potent. So, let people be isolated. Let people be identified as sponsors of these people. Anyone who has the disposition to engage in such treacherous acts will, of course, know that he can be arrested and prosecuted. Until that is done, we are becoming like a lawless society where nothing matters, everything goes.”

He condemned the frequent killings in Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, and Taraba states, calling for collective action from governors, lawmakers, and all elected officials.

He cautioned against politicising the crisis, urging all stakeholders to work together to address security issues affecting their constituents.

 “But I don’t think that it is about the competence of the governor. The elected representatives, not just the government, come from these communities, so no person, elected or not elected, will just stand, fold his arms and watch his people being killed. So they are making efforts, but I think that those efforts need to be stepped up.

“A lot of people know that this is not political. Every person is affected, whether you are the All Progressives Congress, the Peoples Democratic Party, or the Labour Party. Our elected representatives both at the House of Assembly and at the National Assembly, from different communities, I believe, are also working around to make sure that we find solutions to this problem.

All political officeholders must unite genuinely to address the insecurity crisis rather than playing politics with it. Once we agree on a collective solution, we will begin to see results,” he stated.

Suswam also criticised the government’s reactive approach to security, calling for a sustainable and proactive strategy instead of the usual “fire brigade approach.”

 “We are engaging more in a fire brigade approach. When there is an attack here, there will be noise for two weeks. Some ad hoc arrangements will be put in place, and then everything is relaxed until the next attack.

Warning of a worsening security crisis if urgent action is not taken, Suswam stressed that failure to curb insecurity now could lead to even greater instability.