The Social Democratic Party, SDP, in Nigeria, has called on the Nigerian government to equip the security agencies with modern sophisticated warfare equipment and gadgets to end insecurity in the country.
The National Chairman of the party Mr. Shehu Gabam made the call while reacting to the 2025 budget estimate for the country.
Security sector
Mr. Gabam who made the statement in his office in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital said the allocation to security sector is important and that government should invest more in modern communication warfare as the country’s insecurity is taking geometric warfare to be able to maintain internal peace and combat aggressors.
He noted that “training and equipping the military with modern warfare that is technology driven is key to addressing insecurity in the country.”
The 2025 budget for Nigeria is 49.74 trillion naira, defence and security was given 4.91 trillion naira as against the 1.64 trillion from the 2024 budget.
A significant increase of over 60% signalling a bold strategy aimed at possibly bringing to an end persistent challenges pose by insurgency, banditry and kidnapping in Nigeria.
The budget is called “The Restoration Budget: Securing Peace, Rebuilding Prosperity.
Speaking further, Mr. Gabam said that “the modern warfare requires drones, as the use of drones helps in intelligence gathering.”
The SDP Chairman said Nigeria used to have a drone centre in Gombe, Northeast Nigeria, but wonders over what the state of the drone centre is now “we used to have a drone centre in Gombe, I don’t know how far they have gone about it.”
He said that any nation that does not involved the use of artificial intelligence in intelligence gathering and also in crippling the non State actors challenging the State.
Battling the outbreak
Insurgency is one of the security challenges Nigeria is battling with since the outbreak of Boko Haram in 2010 before banditry activities followed suit.
“Another terror group in Northern Nigeria which just surfaced is known as Lakurawa.
The Lakurawas are armed militia group reportedly affiliated with extremist organizations operating in the Sahel region, particularly in Mali and Niger.
They are gradually making inroads into Northern Nigeria, specifically in Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi states but not without some on the field battle with the Nigeria security forces,” he stated.
However, Gabam said once more sophisticated warfare gadgets are used, it would ease the country’s Armed Forces efforts in addressing the lingering security issues being faced by Nigeria.
Lateefah Ibrahim
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