TheCable

Ahmed Jaha, a member of the house of representatives from Borno state, has asked the federal government to hire foreign military mercenaries to help the country in the fight against insecurity.

Jaha, representing the Chibok/Domboa/Gwoza federal constituency, spoke on Tuesday during the plenary session of the green chamber.

The lawmaker was contributing to a motion on the death of one Onumegbu Ifeanyi, a civil servant in Abia, allegedly killed by a naval officer in Rivers state.

Nigeria has been battling insecurity across the country with an uptick in banditry and kidnapping in the last 10 years.

During his administration, former President Goodluck Jonathan procured the services of mercenaries to assist the Nigerian Army in the war against insurgents in the northern part of the country.

But ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, a retired military general, terminated the contract when he took over from Jonathan, describing it as “shameful”.

‘SECURITY AGENCIES HAVE FAILED’

Jaha said security agencies have failed to end violent attacks across the country despite huge allocations of funds to the tune of “N19 trillion” in the past eight years.

“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,” the lawmaker said.

“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.

“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.”

After the adoption of the motion, the house asked the Nigerian Navy to conduct a “thorough and impartial investigation” into the events that led to the death of Onumaegbu and identify the culprits.

The lawmakers also asked the federal government to provide adequate support and compensation to the family of the deceased.