9th May 2024
A member of the House of Representatives from Borno State, Ahmed Jaha, has called on the Federal Government to recruit military mercenaries to address the security issues in the country.
Jaha suggested that the government recall the mercenaries used during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
The lawmaker, who represents the Chibok/Domboa/Gwoza Federal constituency, made this appeal on Tuesday during a parliamentary session where Ginger Onwusibe presented a motion on insecurity.
Onwusibe had moved the motion on the heels of the killing of a civil servant in Abia State, Onegbu Ifeanyi, allegedly by five naval officers.
In his contribution to the motion, Jaha urged the Federal Government to consider recruiting mercenaries as a means to resolve Nigeria’s security challenges.
“We can bring in mercenaries. It was attempted during President Goodluck Jonathan, they were about to finish Boko Haram. The new president (Muhammadu Buhari) was convinced and he moved them out of the country and the insecurity keeps on escalating to other parts of the country,” he said.
Jaha emphasised that security agencies across the country have failed to protect Nigerians.
He announced his intention to advocate for the utilisation of military mercenaries, noting that they failed to end the persistent threat of violent insurgents despite the allocation of “N19 trillion” to security-related agencies.
Jaha added, “In as much as a substantial amount of money is not going to be allocated or will continue to be allocated to security agencies, insecurity will never come to an end in Nigeria.
“From 2015 to 2023, more than N19 trillion was allocated to security and security-related sectors in Nigeria whereas, we have an alternative.
“We are going to organise a movement to present a position paper on the attempt to bring mercenaries to bring an end to insecurity since our security agencies have failed Nigerians.”
Following his appeal, the House asked the Nigerian Navy to conduct a comprehensive and unbiased inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Onumaegbu’s death, emphasising the identification and legal accountability of all involved parties.
The House also called on the Nigerian Navy authorities to enact preventative measures to deter future instances of torture and abuse within the institution. These measures include bolstered human rights training and adherence to legal procedures.
It, however, appealed to the Federal Government to ensure the provision of adequate support and compensation for the deceased’s family.
The motion garnered unanimous support from members during the vote called by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen.
Over the years, Nigeria has been battling violent extremists, especially in the northeastern regions since 2009.
Meanwhile, during Jonathan’s administration, the group gained confidence and orchestrated numerous bombings in the Federal Capital Territory.
In 2014, Jonathan enlisted former members of the South African Defence Force to train the Nigerian Armed Forces against the terrorists in the northeast.
However, the government at the time denied hiring them as combatants, stating they were merely consultants.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari, a retired army general, campaigned on a pledge to address insecurity nationwide and openly opposed the use of foreign mercenaries. Despite this, during his eight-year tenure, insecurity extended to other regions of the country.
