Shehu Sani Calls for Community Resilience in Fight Against Insecurity
Shehu Sani, a former senator, has urged Nigerian communities to adopt stronger vigilance and collective resistance mechanisms as essential tools in the ongoing battle against insecurity, banditry, and terrorism.
Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Saturday, the lawmaker who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th National Assembly emphasized that government forces, while crucial, cannot be ubiquitous.
“State security forces cannot be everywhere at the same time,” Sani noted, arguing that “community vigilance should complement government efforts to address insecurity.”
The human rights activist and playwright, who recently released two books—The Village and the Vigilante and The Councillor and the Perilous Path to Europe: The Sahara Odyssey—lamented the decade-long persistence of violence in Northern Nigeria.
He highlighted the devastating toll of these conflicts, including mass kidnappings, the destruction of villages, and the displacement of millions.
Sani stressed that local communities must develop resilience to withstand the “incessant attacks by bandits and terrorists.”
Beyond domestic security, Sani expressed grave concern over the wave of irregular migration, where young Nigerians embark on perilous journeys in search of greener pastures. He warned that many who leave out of desperation often face exploitation, including prostitution and drug trafficking.
“In Libya, some of them spend months or even years before being pushed across the Mediterranean under life-threatening conditions,” he revealed.
He challenged young Nigerians to channel their determination into building their futures at home rather than risking their lives abroad.
“There is no dream for you to realise in Europe; Your dream can be realised here, in your own country,” Sani advised.
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