Nigeria’s former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd.) has dropped a bombshell.

He said; “The insecurity ravaging the country has so far claimed over 80,000 lives. The proliferation of all calibre of weapons in the country may tear the country apart unless the situation is arrested urgently.”

“The number of weapons has heightened insecurity in the country and led to over 80,000 deaths and close to 3 million Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs in the country.”

“It is estimated that there are over 6 million of such weapons in circulation in the country. This certainly exacerbated the insecurity that led to over 80,000 deaths and close to 3 million internally displaced persons.”

“The security forces are not just over stretched but under strength and funded. The security agencies can perform better with more sophisticated weapons, equipment and more funding.”

“We believe Nigeria must find a way out of these problems. Our hope is that perhaps among us, by listening to your different perspectives, we can begin to build up confidence among our people so that we can hold together.”

“So our hope is that we shall not only share our collective lamentations about the current situation, bit propose some concrete suggestions that can point the way forward, suggestions that can inspire more confidence among our people and ensure that our country remains one.”

“The challenges facing the country is not only a security issue in the narrow sense of the military definition but that it has assumed an all encompassing nature. These challenges include, the Boko Haram insurgency, Banditry, kidnapping, increasing poverty, the calls for balkanization of the country from different quarters.”

“The threat of hunger arising from insecurity that farmers have faced and continue to face, the increasing sense of collective despair and despondency among the populace.”