PRP urges FG to integrate local communities into security system

By Editor

The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) has asked the Federal Government to urgently mobilise, empower, and integrate local communities into the nation’s security architecture.

The party saif that grassroots human intelligence remains the most effective tool against terrorism and banditry.

The PRP’s National Chairman, Alhaji Falalu Bello, on Wednesday in a statement warned that Nigeria’s rapidly deteriorating security situation demands a shift toward community-based intelligence gathering, which is central to restoring stability and regaining control of the nation’s internal security space.

The PRP also demanded an immediate end to all forms of negotiations—formal or informal—between the government and any individuals or organisations linked to terrorism.

It cautioned that such engagements undermine the authority of the state and embolden criminal networks.

Bello expressed alarmed by the rapidly worsening security situation in Nigeria.

“In just a few days, the country has descended further into chaos, marked by brazen mass abductions, targeted killings, and coordinated terror attacks across several states, including Kebbi, Zamfara, Kwara, Kano, Bauchi, Yobe, Sokoto, Borno, and Niger. What is unfolding is nothing short of a systematic assault on the sovereignty of our nation and the dignity of its people.

“Nigeria has now recorded one of its most horrifying waves of abductions in recent history. Over 315 students and teachers have been forcefully abducted from St. Mary’s School in Papiri, Niger State—yet another brutal attack on our children, our future, and our collective hope.

“This tragedy has been followed by the kidnapping of 25 schoolgirls in Kebbi, the killing of a police officer and a vigilante in Patigi, Kwara, as well as five additional police officers in Bauchi. Furthermore, eight members of the Civilian Joint Task Force were killed, with three others abducted by terrorists in Gwoza, Borno State.

“In Yobe State, one policeman was killed in an attack by terrorists in Geidam. Additionally, four rice farmers were murdered in an attack by terrorists in Kwara State’s Edu Local Government Area,” Bello said.

He said that these attacks are compounded by the killing of top security operatives, including Brig. Gen. M. Uba, and the continued infiltration of terror infrastructure from Sambisa Forest to other regions—exposing a dangerous truth: Nigeria is steadily losing control of its internal security architecture.

He said, “For anyone to claim that “we are winning this war” is to publicly embrace delusion, dishonesty, or complicity. The current situation is not a temporary challenge; it is a national emergency. What confronts us is not just insecurity but a complete breakdown of intelligence coordination, operational capacity, and political will.

“Schools have become battlegrounds. Communities are being emptied. Security personnel are hunted with impunity. Terrorists now operate with precision, intelligence, and confidence—an indication of insider collaboration and institutional failure.

“Yet, instead of decisive action, Nigeria is served a cocktail of empty assurances, superficial reforms, and endless political theatrics. While citizens live in fear, political leaders embark on needless foreign trips, indulge in petty politicking, and display a shocking disconnect from the suffering across the country. Rural dwellers are now making their own deals with bandits and terrorists simply to survive.”

He said that the development is not governance but a catastrophic dereliction of duty.

Bello said, “The government must now respond appropriately to rescue other victims of these dastardly acts across the states, just as those in Eruku, Kwara State, have been freed.

“Whether these sustained attacks are part of an orchestrated attempt by external forces to destabilize Nigeria or a direct consequence of the government’s irresponsibility and failure to protect its citizens, the reality remains: the Nigerian state is failing in its most basic duty—securing lives and property.

“The lives and livelihoods of our citizens are no longer valued, dignified, or prioritized. These systematic and incessant attacks must be unequivocally condemned and decisively stopped.”

He urged all Nigerians, communities, civil society, political groups, traditional institutions, and concerned citizens, to rise to the occasion, unite in vigilance, and collectively demand safety, justice, and accountability.