A former military governor of old Kano State, Colonel Sani Bello (retd), calls on Nigeria’s Federal Government to strengthen the country’s response to insecurity by integrating police personnel into military operations and recalling retired soldiers. Speaking to Premier Radio Kano, Bello argues that security forces already have sufficient knowledge of armed group leaders’ locations but often lack the political will to act decisively. He also disputes claims that Nigeria lacks adequate weapons, saying the armed forces have access to surveillance drones, artillery, and military aircraft, and that bandits do not match that capability. Bello acknowledges the efforts of frontline troops but says they are overstretched due to widespread banditry and insurgency. He urges the government to treat the situation as a national emergency and increase troop numbers. To address manpower gaps, he proposes drawing on past experience from Nigeria’s civil war, when military strength grew through recruitment, including from police units and retired servicemen. He suggests police officers could be deployed after limited additional training and that retired personnel serving for a short period could provide meaningful reinforcement. He also warns that Nigeria should account for guerrilla tactics rather than relying only on conventional warfare approaches.
Ex-Kano governor Sani Bello urges police–army integration and recall of retired soldiers
A former military governor of old Kano State, Colonel Sani Bello (retd), calls on Nigeria’s Federal Government to strengthen the country’s response to insecurity by integrating police personnel into m...
- Colonel Sani Bello (retd), a former military governor of old Kano State, calls for police–army integration to tackle insecurity.
- He urges the Federal Government to recall retired soldiers to reinforce frontline troops against banditry and insurgency.
- Bello says security agencies already know where bandit leaders are located but need stronger political action.
- He argues Nigeria has access to advanced military equipment, including surveillance drones, artillery, and military aircraft.
- He characterizes current troop levels as too low and recommends treating the crisis as a national emergency while adjusting tactics to guerrilla warfare.
Former military governor of old Kano State, Colonel Sani Bello (retd), has called on the Federal Government to integrate police personnel into military operations and recall retired soldiers to bolster Nigeria’s fight against banditry and insurgency.Speaking in an interview with Premier Radio Kano, Bello argued that security agencies already know the locations of notorious bandit leaders but lack the political will to act decisively.“Wherever these bandits are hiding, the government knows their locations. Security personnel know exactly where they are and how to reach them,” he said, insisting that Nigeria has the intelligence, equipment, and military capability to confront armed groups effectively.He dismissed claims that Nigeria lacks adequate weapons, pointing to surveillance drones, artillery, and military aircraft available to the armed forces. “Do the bandits have aircraft? They do not. They cannot match the sophisticated weapons and technology available to the government,” Bello noted.While commending frontline troops for their efforts, Bello stressed that they are overstretched due to widespread insecurity. He urged the government to treat the crisis as a national emergency and substantially increase troop numbers.Drawing from his civil war experience, Bello recalled how Nigeria expanded its military strength from fewer than 10,000 personnel to over 200,000 through intensive recruitment, including from the then Native Authority Police and retired servicemen. He suggested a similar approach today, arguing that police officers would require only limited training before deployment.“Even if retired personnel serve for six months, they can reinforce our troops. If the government adopts this approach, it could make a significant difference in the fight against insurgency,” he said.Bello also expressed concern over manpower shortages, noting that many battalions now operate with fewer than 200 soldiers instead of the standard 700. He urged the government to act decisively, warning that Nigeria must distinguish between conventional warfare and guerrilla tactics to prevent further deterioration of the security situation.
3 hours agoA former military governor of the old Kano State, Colonel Sani Bello (retd), has urged the Federal Government to integrate police personnel into military operations and recall retired soldiers to strengthen the fight against banditry and insurgency across Nigeria. The retired army officer and diplomat, who governed the old Kano State between 1975 and 1978, […] Insecurity: Ex-Kano gov urges Nigerian govt to deploy police with army, recall retired soldiers
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