Asiwaju Kunle Kalejaye (SAN), an Ibadan-based legal luminary and Chairman of Eagle FM, an Ijebu based radio station gaining widespread popularity, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take the bold step of declaring a national emergency on banditry, kidnapping, and all forms of terrorism across the country.
Joining the growing number of Nigerians advocating stronger measures against insecurity, Kalejaye described the persistent wave of terror as a national embarrassment, not only to the government and people of Nigeria but also in the eyes of the international community.
In his Democracy Day message, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria said the Tinubu administration must adopt more decisive and far-reaching measures to halt the escalating security crisis before it completely undermines the foundations of the nation’s security architecture.
According to him, failure to act swiftly could further erode public confidence in the country’s security institutions, particularly the Nigerian Army, which risks being perceived as incapable of effectively defending the nation against criminal elements.
Kalejaye noted that public trust in the military has already suffered significant damage, partly because bandits, kidnappers, and other criminal groups increasingly disguise themselves in military uniforms while carrying out their operations.
He warned that if urgent steps are not taken to reverse the trend, the prestige and integrity traditionally associated with the armed forces could continue to diminish, exposing military personnel and symbols to public ridicule and distrust.
While acknowledging the efforts being made by government to combat insecurity, the legal icon maintained that such efforts may yield limited results unless accompanied by a clear national declaration demonstrating Nigeria’s collective resolve to confront and eliminate terrorism.
He stressed that a declaration of national emergency on terror would send a strong message that the nation unequivocally rejects violence and is prepared to deploy all available resources to defeat it.
Kalejaye further urged the Federal Government to formulate and implement concrete strategies aimed at crushing terrorist activities, warning that perpetrators have become increasingly audacious.
He observed that their operations are no longer confined to remote communities but are now extending into major towns and cities.
He argued that celebrating democracy in an environment where law and order are constantly threatened by insecurity diminishes the essence of democratic governance and projects a negative image of the country.
The legal luminary emphasized that the protection of lives and property remains one of the foremost constitutional responsibilities of any government.
He added that effective security management requires proactive measures rather than reactive responses.
According to him, this includes identifying threats to national security early and neutralizing them before they become too powerful to contain.
Kalejaye therefore reiterated his appeal to President Tinubu to immediately declare a national emergency on terrorism and related crimes, insisting that such a move would demonstrate Nigeria’s total abhorrence of these acts and its determination to eradicate them.
“It is left to President Tinubu to save our nation at this perilous time,” Asiwaju Kalejaye SAN insisted.
