A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately relieve the country’s Service Chiefs of their duties, citing the alarming rate of insecurity across Nigeria.
Frank made the call while reacting to the recent killing of soldiers in Borno State by suspected Boko Haram insurgents.
He described the current state of the nation’s security as tragic and unacceptable.
According to him, Nigerians are being killed “like chickens” every day across the North, South, East and West, which he said proves that the country’s “security architecture has collapsed.”
He lamented that despite the billions allocated yearly to the defence and security sector, soldiers and police officers still operate under poor conditions and without adequate equipment. “Our soldiers and policemen are dying in large numbers due to poor funding and a lack of proper equipment,” Frank said.
Frank, who is also the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, accused government officials of mismanaging security funds, adding that corruption within the defence system has worsened the crisis.
He applauded U.S. President Donald Trump and Senator Ted Cruz for speaking out against the killings of Nigerians, saying their stance has exposed the failure of the Nigerian government to protect its citizens. “We commend President Donald Trump for his concern and moral courage in speaking against the killings of Nigerians,” he said, also appreciating Senator Cruz for “lending his voice to these injustices.”
Frank further called on the U.S. government and other international partners to mount pressure on the Tinubu administration to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The APC Chieftain argued that it is wrong for the government to negotiate with terrorists while keeping “innocent and peaceful Nigerians” in detention.
“This administration cannot continue to negotiate with terrorists while detaining innocent and peaceful Nigerians. We therefore call on the international community, especially the U.S. government, to intervene and pressurize President Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu immediately,” he said.
He also commended activist and former AAC presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, for consistently demanding Kanu’s unconditional release, describing him as a true advocate of justice and human rights.
On Nigeria’s foreign relations, Frank stressed the importance of maintaining a cordial bond with the United States. “Nigeria has always maintained a cordial relationship with the United States. We will not allow any government or individuals to destroy that friendship,” he stated.
The APC chieftain, however, criticised the Nigerian Senate for attacking Senator Ted Cruz over his comments on the killings in Nigeria, calling the lawmakers a “disgrace and disappointment.”
He said the National Assembly should instead focus on its constitutional duty of oversight and accountability rather than defending failure.
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.
