Former Deputy Governor of Gombe State and ex-lawmaker, Sen. Joshua Lidani, has urged President Bola Tinubu to place greater priority on intelligence gathered from lower- and mid-level security personnel, insisting that Nigeria’s security challenges can only be solved with accurate, ground-level information.
Lidani spoke in Lagos during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the National Flag-off of the Automated MATAN Food Security Initiative held at the National Institute of Sports, National Stadium.
The three-day programme, organised by the MATAN Food Bank Professionals Association of Nigeria and led by Amb. Olakunle Johnson, gathered farmers from all 36 states and the FCT to discuss strategies to boost food security.
Lidani — a lawyer, politician and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who represented Gombe South in the Senate from 2011 to 2019 — stressed that frontline security personnel hold the most crucial intelligence needed to defeat insurgency, banditry, and kidnapping.
“I will advise Mr President to listen to the military, especially the lower ranks and middle ranks. Vital intelligence lies with them,” he said.
He warned that relying solely on reports from senior officers could distort the President’s understanding of the true security situation.
“If he receives the correct information, he will know exactly where bandits, killer-herdsmen, and kidnappers operate, including their networks and camps,” he added.
Lidani maintained that Nigeria’s armed forces are fully capable of ending the violence without foreign assistance — but only if they are properly motivated and held accountable.
“The Nigerian Armed Forces have the capability. They just need the right motivation. The President should not be overly lenient with top officials; he needs to demonstrate firmness,” he said.
He advised President Tinubu to demand measurable results from security chiefs and to promptly remove any appointee who fails to perform.
Lidani also cautioned the President against allowing political interests ahead of the 2027 elections to overshadow national security.
“If he solves insecurity, the second term will be automatic. But if he avoids tough decisions because someone is a political heavyweight, he may end up achieving nothing,” he said.
He concluded by urging the Federal Government to demonstrate stronger political will, noting that decisive leadership is essential to restoring peace nationwide.
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