Foreign Power Won’t Free US from Bandits, We Must do it Ourselves, Says Shehu Sani
Foreign Power Won’t Free US from Bandits, We Must do it Ourselves, Says Shehu Sani
Former Senator, Shehu Sani has called on Nigerians to take full responsibility for ending banditry rather than waiting for foreign intervention.
Speaking at a book launch in Abuja, he reminded citizens of Nigeria’s history in restoring peace to other nations, urging the country to apply that same internal resolve to defeat local terrorists.
Sani highlighted the disparity between Nigeria’s population of 230 million and the relatively small number of active bandits, estimated at around 5,000.
He argued that if the public is properly mobilized and enlightened, they can effectively resist these criminal groups. He stressed that community survival depends on the collective will of citizens to defend their own land.
The lawmaker lamented the “regime of hell” currently plaguing Northern states like Zamfara and Kaduna, where villages are razed and millions displaced.
He specifically noted the alarming trend of school abductions, which has devastated the educational system. Sani contrasted this current instability with the peace the region enjoyed only a few decades ago.
To illustrate the necessary response, Sani presented a stage play titled *The Village and the Vigilante*, depicting the roles of traditional rulers and security agencies. The performance was designed to inspire courage and remind stakeholders that the insecurity is a passing phase. He emphasized that the crisis will only end when the danger is confronted directly.
In addition to security, Sani warned Nigerian youths against the dangers of illegal migration through his book, *The Perilous Path to Europe*. He urged young people to build their futures at home rather than risking death in the Sahara or the Mediterranean. He maintained that Nigeria can only achieve greatness if its citizens stay to contribute to national development.
