Chairman of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, has urged President Bola Tinubu to declare a nationwide state of emergency on security, warning that the current wave of killings and mass kidnappings poses an existential threat to national stability.
Akinyemi condemned the rising incidents that have deepened public anxiety, including the killing of Brigadier General Musa Uba, the abduction of over 300 schoolchildren in Niger and Kebbi states, and the kidnapping of 38 worshippers from the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State.
Describing the situation as intolerable, the former Minister of External Affairs called for sweeping measures to strengthen national defence.
He proposed the temporary suspension of provisions in the Armed Forces Act 2004 that compel the retirement of military personnel after 35 years of service or at age 60, arguing that recalling experienced officers is necessary under the current climate.
“I respectfully call on His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to suspend the enforcement of the Armed Forces Act 2004 provision—an inherited British-era policy—that mandates the retirement of military personnel after 35 years of service or upon attaining 60 years of age,” he said.
Akinyemi cited global and national precedents, noting that similar measures were adopted during the Second World War and the Nigerian Civil War.
He also urged an accelerated nationwide recruitment into the armed forces to boost deployment capacity and strengthen garrison operations across all states.
According to him, these steps must form part of a broader national emergency framework capable of restoring public confidence and reclaiming territories threatened by criminal networks.
He further called for the suspension of constitutional immunity for governors in states where terrorists operate with impunity, insisting that elected leaders must be held accountable for persistent breakdowns in security.
Where necessary, he said such states should be placed under temporary military administration.
“During this period, constitutional immunity for governors should be suspended so that any governor under whose jurisdiction terrorist groups operate freely and with impunity can be held accountable.
“Where necessary, such a state may be temporarily placed under military administration to restore order and protect citizens,” he said.
Akinyemi also recommended the establishment of a military tribunal to prosecute terrorists and their collaborators, insisting on the maximum penalty where guilt is established.
He warned that Nigeria cannot continue to tolerate scenarios in which armed terror groups move freely and unchallenged, stressing that the moment demands firm, coordinated and courageous action.
“Our nation’s security demands decisive, coordinated and courageous action,” he said.