By ADEROGBA GEORGE

Former presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mr Dumebi Kachikwu, has urged President Bola Tinubu to publicly identify and prosecute individuals sponsoring terrorism in the country.

He made the call at a State of the Nation news conference on Thursday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that in 2024, Nigeria publicly named 21 individuals and six Bureau de Change entities as financiers of terrorism, a move welcomed by security experts and civil society.

This list resurfaced in 2025 amid renewed global concern following remarks by US President Donald Trump.

Kachikwu said Nigeria’s worsening insecurity demands transparency, noting that daily killings, kidnappings and displacement of communities require honest disclosure.

He said Nigerians are losing hope because no administration has clearly explained the true nature of the conflict in nearly two decades.

He added that this has left citizens reliant on speculation, rumours and contradictory accounts.

Kachikwu urged the President to give Nigerians clear information on the killings, victims’ identities and the status of displaced communities amid claims that attackers now occupy or rename abandoned areas.

He questioned repeated descriptions of the crisis as farmer–herder clashes, saying the pattern of attacks suggests deeper motives.

Kachikwu said claims linking the conflict to mining interests, land grabs and sectarian motives require official clarification.

He added that international allegations of genocide cannot be ignored without a transparent government response.

Kachikwu said terrorism cannot be solved through secrecy, amnesty or silence while victims remain unattended and attackers allegedly receive rehabilitation.

He said no nation can heal when criminals enjoy leniency while innocent citizens endure trauma.

He noted that public officers, including soldiers, swear oaths to the nation, not ethnic or religious loyalties, and described shielding terrorists on such grounds as treason.

The former presidential candidate urged the President to tackle alleged saboteurs within the security system, saying they undermine counterterrorism efforts.

Kachikwu reiterated support for state police, saying it is overdue given the scale of attacks, and backed controlled access to firearms for responsible citizens.

He said both measures would strengthen local defence and community security and deserve robust national debate. (NAN)