Insecurity: Falana urges Nigerians to resist hiring of mercenaries

.. TUC vows to continue struggle for just, peaceful country.

UFOMBA UZUEGBU

Activist lawyer, Femi Falana has urged Nigerians to resist moves, in some quarters to hire mercenaries to protect the country.

This is even as the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) reiterated its commitment to continuing the struggle for a just, egalitarian and peaceful Nigeria.

Falana and the President of TUC, Comrade Quadri Olaleye who made their views known in separate interviews during the burial ceremony of late Comrade Akinwumi Akinsola, immediate past chairman, TUC, Kwara State, on Friday at Oluke, Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, agreed that the recent train attack in Kaduna State was borne out of criminal negligence of government.

Late Akinsola and the Secretary General of TUC, Comrade (Barr) Musa Lawal Ozigi, were among Nigerians who lost their lives in the ill-fated attack by bandits.

Both agreed also that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is completely overwhelmed, tired and frustrated in tackling insurgency in the country.

Falana said: “Nigerians must dismiss the suggestion that mercenaries should be hired to protect the country.

“We have the best soldiers. The problem is that they do not have enough arms to fight these insurgents. I speak from experience.

“I defend soldiers including top military officers whose only offence is that they asked for more arms to defend the country.

“Government must provide enough arms for the seemingly ill-equipped security agencies to defend the country.

“We call on state governors to share police duties with the president. Today, the governors have abdicated that responsibility. Our governors must mobilize our people to defend the country.”

Falana noted that the Kaduna train attack was tragedy waiting to happen; that the rail lines would be attacked sooner than later, stressing that the Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi had said that much when he complained of the absence of cameras on the rail lines.

Falana warned that it was not the responsibility of families of kidnapped victims to be raising ransom to free their people held in captivity by the bandits and kidnappers, stressing that it is the responsibility of government to take care of the victims.

“Let nobody insult Nigerians by asking us to pay for the treatment of those wounded in the attack because of the criminal negligence by the government.

Speaking also, the TUC President, Olaleye said “This is a sad moment for us in the labour movement; a moment that our country has failed us, a moment that the nation lost two great comrades. They died in active serice.

“We accept it’s the plan of God. But for us in the labour movement, they sacrificed their lives to have a peaceful country.

“The only way we can immortalize these great Nigerians is to continue the struggle for a just, egalitarian peaceful Nigeria which must change for the better.

“What explanation, are we going to give Comrades’ Lawal Ozigi and Akinsola’s children if we do not continue in our struggle? We must continue to remember these fallen heroes.

“A national day of action is going to be announced very soon. We must tell the government that they have failed us. If President Buhari cannot defend us, the President must resign.”