Pulse.ng : Northern Youth Council Demands Total Overhaul of Nigeria’s Security Leadership

By Sani Idris Abdulrahman

The Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has called for the immediate and complete restructuring of the country’s security architecture following the United States’ recent designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern.”

In a statement issued to newsmen on Sunday in Kaduna by Isah Abubakar, the National President of the NYCN, he said the development was a clear indictment of the nation’s current security leadership, whose failure to contain insurgency, banditry, and internal instability has exposed millions of citizens to persistent danger.

Abubakar emphasised that the safety of Nigerians must now take absolute precedence over political considerations, insisting that the time for complacency was long over.

He demanded the immediate sack of both Ministers of Defence, citing their inability to provide effective oversight and strategic direction in safeguarding the nation.

The group urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to appoint competent and experienced individuals with a proven understanding of security operations.

The council also called for the replacement of the National Security Adviser with a retired, highly decorated military general who possesses a comprehensive knowledge of Nigeria’s security landscape and can provide strong strategic leadership.

Abubakar noted that the current lack of coordination among the Ministers of Defence and the Office of the National Security Adviser has severely weakened national counter-insurgency efforts.

The NYCN national president further demanded the retirement of the Inspector General of Police to allow for a holistic restructuring of the entire security command chain — from the military to internal law enforcement.

The group maintained that only a full overhaul of the security leadership could restore public confidence and bring lasting peace and stability, especially in the Northern region that has suffered most from insecurity.