Former Governor of Lagos State and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has donated the sum of N50 million to the Niger State government to help tackle the security challenges in the state.
Tinubu, who made the donation on Thursday when he paid a visit to the state, expressed concern over the security situation in the country, adding that it can be fixed with prayers and self-belief.
The APC chieftain asked Nigerians not to see the nation’s security challenges as a hopeless situation.
“We share in your grief, I am here for the people of Niger State, hearing and reading of disasters, banditry and cattle rustling every day, just like what happened on Wednesday again,” he said.
Remarking, Governor Abubakar Bello endorsed the presidential aspirations of the National Leader of the APC ahead of the 2023 Presidential election.
While receiving Tinubu at the Niger State Government House, the governor said he is looking forward to seeing him lay the kind of foundation he laid for the massive transformation in Lagos for Nigeria.
“Lagos is a country within a country, and we saw the foundation you laid there, we are looking forward to seeing you replicate it for Nigeria,” he said.
Bello appreciated the former Lagos state Governor for sympathising with the State government and people over the incessant banditry attacks.
The governor, who recounted how some villagers in Mashegu were murdered in cold blood by bandits while observing their early morning prayers in the Mosque,
said no where is safe in the country.
He stressed, “Where are we safe? In a place of worship, people can be killed. We are not dealing with human beings, but people whose heart has been cemented for evil, no amount of talking or dialogue can change them.
“Recently, they went to a village while they were observing their early morning prayers. They locked the door and started shooting indiscriminately, killing 18 and only those that forced the door open survived and few days later they did same in another village.”
He appealed to the Federal Government to change its approach to the ongoing war against banditry and terrorism, calling for a technological driven warfare, rather than conventional approach.
“We don’t fight conventional warfare. Let’s use technology even though it is expensive, the situation can be addressed that way.
“The era of sending soldiers to the forest is over when we can deploy drones to monitor movement of bandits and hit target effortlessly,” Governor Bello added.
