Hayatu-Deen seeks urgent reforms to tackle insecurity, poverty

Former presidential aspirant Mohammed Hayatu-Deen has called for urgent reforms to address Nigeria’s worsening security and economic challenges following the death of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar in the custody of his abductors.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Hayatu-Deen expressed concern over the escalating wave of insecurity across the country, citing the abduction and subsequent death of General Abubakar, who was kidnapped alongside his wife in Katsina State.

He noted that 27 days after the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers from Oriire in Oyo State, the victims remain in captivity. He also referenced recent attacks in Kogi State, where bandits reportedly killed a vice principal, a six-year-old child and another resident during a WAEC examination.

Hayatu-Deen said the incidents reflected a broader national crisis.

“Condolences are no longer enough. We must confront the reality that insecurity has become a national emergency requiring urgent and coordinated action,” he said.

The development advocate observed that similar attacks were being recorded across virtually every region of the country, underscoring the scale of the challenge.

While mourning General Abubakar, fallen military personnel and other victims of terrorism and banditry, Hayatu-Deen stressed that Nigeria could no longer afford a piecemeal approach to security.

He pointed to Nigeria’s ranking as the fourth most terrorism-affected country on the Global Terrorism Index and reports of a 46 per cent increase in terrorism-related deaths as indicators of the growing threat facing the nation.

“This is not a partisan statement. I have no interest in scoring political points off the graves of our soldiers or the suffering of our children. I speak as a concerned private citizen,” he said.