Security Situation Has Never Been This Bad – Tunde Bakare

The General Overseer of Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare, on Thursday said the security situation in Nigeria has never been this bad.

The cleric while speaking on Arise TV on Thursday called on the government to attend to security issues in the country.

Bakare further stated that it’s about time the issues of disintegration are addressed directly.

He said, “We have so many people saying they are going, added to that is the recent Sunday Adeyemo’s issue that almost created a lot of crisis in the Southwest part of our counry. Over time, you’re seeing the South-East IPOB (Indigenous People of Biafra) and you have seen all different kinds of groups in our nation, the Middle Belt, South-South, it’s about time that all those issues have to be addressed directly.”

“Is the President not doing anything about it? I’m sure he himself is not comfortable with what is going on in the nation. Any leader would be concerned about it; he is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, a number of things are happening that will shock anyone. This is not the Nigeria I grew up in as a young child.”

“I lived in the North and South, it was never as bad as this. I think the whole thing is coming to a crescendo. It is my sincere desire that the President, his government and the armed forces will be up to the task of not only dealing with terrorists but bringing the nation together in such a way that we can sit on the table of brotherhood and not tear ourselves apart. We need to sit together and talk, act and back our resolutions with actions that will unify the country rather than divide the country.”

“As late as last night, I still had a chat with presidential aides, expressed my views and thoughts. I get to see the President whenever time permits. COVID-19 restrictions have made it impossible but I saw him late last year. I’ve not seen him this year.”

“I will continue, as well as other men of goodwill, to seek a peaceful resolution of our crisis, more behind the scene than any public declaration. There’s nothing you will hear me share in public that has not been discussed in private conversations.”

The cleric, however, cautioned Sunday Igboho, saying he must act within the ambit of the law.

He said, “There may be other ways of resolving this crisis other than issuing death threats and beating the drum of war. Thank God it has come a bit down though not completely resolved. We will by God’s grace, do all that God has given us to do. My intervention and (that of) other well-meaning Nigerians is to deescalate the tension generated by the 7-day ultimatum they gave and as much as possible, reset the narratives before it gets out of hand.”

Bakare further stated that he is relieved that Igboho has apologised to the Ooni of Ife for describing as a Fulani slave.

He cautioned that there should not be an action that would make Yorubas in Fulani territory feel threatened.

“The ancient stool of the Ooni of Ife should be respected and all Obas should be respected, no one should drag their names in the mud. One of the things men of goodwill need to do; you can see that what is causing this is leadership deficit almost all over the country, South-West inclusive. We have to avoid all reckless rhetoric.”