Sultan cautions Tinubu over senseless killings

Traditional rulers, under the leadership of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, have voiced out their frustration over the senseless killings of innocent citizens across the country saying “enough is enough”.

At the 7th Executive Committee Meeting of the Northern Traditional Rulers Council in Maiduguri, the Borno State Capital, the Sultan asserted that their concern over the deteriorating security situation surpasses that of politicians, emphasising the urgent need for decisive intervention from President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

According to him, “Our coming together as traditional rulers in the North, I believe we have more than 86 in the North. We will speak with one voice to say ‘enough is enough’ of this senseless killing of innocent people across the North and across the country.”

He lamented the persistent violence despite repeated public condemnations, questioning, “We have released so many statements of condemnations, but how many times do we need to condemn these killings before our political leaders and security agencies stop or reduce the insecurity in the country to the barest minimum?”, he questioned.

The Sultan underscored the emotional toll of the violence on traditional leaders, saying, “We, the traditional rulers, feel bad and saddened when our people are killed by people we don’t know.”

He stressed the necessity for increased collaboration and closed-door discussions to advise political leaders, affirming, “It’s high time we worked harder, talked to ourselves and in closed door meetings discussed it. We shall advise our political leaders, they are at the helm of affairs and we will work with them.”

The meeting, themed “Enhanced Security As Panacea For Stability and Development of the North,” saw the participation of numerous northern monarchs, political figures, and high-ranking security officials.

Reiterating their supportive role, the Sultan clarified, “As traditional rulers, we are not competing with governors of our states, we are only helping them. We will not and will never be in contention with political leadership or governors.”

During closed-door deliberations, the council extensively discussed the worsening security crisis, particularly in Borno State. The Sultan acknowledged reports of a resurgence of Boko Haram activities in remote areas, stating, “We heard some comments that Boko Haram is returning, and I say Insha Allah (God willing) Almighty Allah will give us the strength and wherewithal to defeat them.”

He appealed to citizens to maintain hope, saying, “Yes, there is insecurity in some parts of Borno, but there is insecurity everywhere in the world, not only in Nigeria. For some of us that have gone round the world will know, more people are being killed in some developed countries everyday than the total amount of people killed in Nigeria in one month or two months.”