Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, who ran for president on the African Democratic Congress ticket, is calling on authorities to declare insecurity a national emergency.
He made the plea Tuesday following the execution of retired Major General Abubakar Rabe by kidnappers in Katsina State.
Hayatu-Deen noted that Rabe's death marks another tragedy in a mounting toll. Twenty-seven days have passed since abductors snatched schoolchildren and educators from classrooms in Oriire, Oyo State.
Those students and teachers remain missing in forests within Old Oyo National Park, according to state authorities.
Violence has erupted across multiple regions. Borno, Kogi, Ibadan, and Katsina have all witnessed attacks in recent times.
These incidents now happen with disturbing regularity, he observed.
Data shows terrorism killings jumped 46 percent in just one year, Hayatu-Deen pointed out. Behind each statistic lies a person, a household, a whole community transformed forever by loss.
He stressed he wasn't seeking political advantage from military deaths or children's suffering. Yet the Constitution makes one thing crystal clear: national security rests with the president.
"That duty can't be delegated away," he noted.
In his view, security challenges transcend party lines entirely. "This fight belongs to all of us," he said, describing it as a battle for Nigeria's future.
Security and economic collapse feed each other, Hayatu-Deen argued persuasively. Unemployed youth become targets for militant recruiters actively seeking members.
Skyrocketing living costs push desperate families toward criminal activity. Insecurity deepens poverty while poverty deepens insecurity—a vicious cycle.
"Both crises must be tackled together," he stressed.
Governments need urgent action on welfare programs, not delayed responses. Both federal and state authorities must prioritize this work immediately.
He pointed to how other nations handled the US-Iran conflict's impact on energy costs. They rolled out subsidies, business grants, and price caps to shield ordinary people.
Nigeria should explore and adopt similar measures now. Businesses need support to survive and continue employing workers.
Hayatu-Deen called for urgent assistance targeting farmers, struggling families, and besieged communities.
He praised lawmakers for backing a constitutional amendment creating state police forces.
Now the Senate must move just as quickly, he urged them.
"State police aren't a perfect solution," he acknowledged plainly. But restoring state authority everywhere, every single day, requires this step.
Lawmakers drafting the legislation must address legitimate worries, though. Corruption, official misconduct, and political manipulation of state forces could undermine the entire initiative.
Those concerns deserve serious attention before implementation begins.
