Defence minister pledges use of tech against insurgents
As the Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria (SCSN) appealed to the Federal Government to end the hardship, hunger and insecurity in the country, Minister of Defence, Muhammed Abubakar, pledged the use of technology by the military to root out insurgency in Nigeria.
Abubakar said plans were underway to introduce technological devices by the security agents to detect where terrorists and criminal elements hide and smoke them out.
Speaking in Kaduna, yesterday, at the pre-Ramadan meeting organised by SCSN, the minister expressed delight that the security architecture had been doing a wonderful job by apprehending bandits in different parts of the country.
“The way the bandits operate makes it difficult for the security agents because the latter cannot be everywhere. Despite the way the terrorists operate, the security personnel have been doing a wonderful job by neutralising, apprehending them and rescuing victims in parts of the country,” the minister said.
He implored the council to pray for the peaceful coexistence of the country, saying it is only in a peaceful environment that the government would be able to carry out its programmes for the overall benefit of the citizens.
President of SCSN, Sheikh AbdurRashid Hadiyatullah, said: “In these challenging times, it is crucial that we uphold the principles of peace, unity and understanding. We should preach against resorting to violent protests against the government and strive for dialogue and constructive engagement with governments to address our concerns.
“Islam encourages us to seek solutions to problems with our leaders through peaceful means only. Violence only begets more violence, and it is our duty as responsible citizens and followers of Islam to promote harmony and stability.”
He urged the Ulamah to highlight the increasing moral decadence within Muslim communities in Nigeria, lamenting that traditional values of Islam that once anchored the society were giving way to a range of ethical challenges like corruption, dishonesty and a diminishing sense of communal responsibility.
Meanwhile, the Shariah council urged the Federal Government to re-examine the neo-liberal economic template guiding the nation’s policies and perish the thought to totally abolish all subsidies and commercialise strategic public agencies, without any semblance of social safety net to mitigate the attendant horrendous consequences on the population.
“Critically, we should also reflect on the implication of the proposed state police to ensure a balance between tackling insecurity, our social cohesion and the probability of abuse for personal and political agenda,” it added.
