American Citizen who is an expert in reporting crisis, Douglas Burton has called on Nigerian Government to stop depending on United States of America for the country’s human and territorial security.
Douglas said this during a Webinar conference organized by the General News (Tgnews) on a topic:”Navigating the Crisis: “Understanding the Epidemic of Kidnapping in Nigeria and Mitigating High Ransom Demands”.
Douglas revealed that Americans are also suffering from their own share of insecurity challenges and no country has ever win the battle with the support of the US government.
Douglas who has been writing articles on issues relating to Nigerian insecurity, good governance, the unheard and abandoned communities and gave strong advise to the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to stand firm by shaming the culprits of what crime under whichever guise going on unabated in many parts of the country.
Douglas is currently the Chief editor of Truth Nigeria, an online newspaper giving indepth reporting and analysis of many of the heinous crimes of kidnapping, bandits, Boko Haram and ISWAP in recent times.
Haven worked in so many countries around as a crime reporter in the world, Douglas have visited Nigeria in many occasions and affirmed that the country is blessed with both human and natural resources but high level of insecurity is halting developmental strides.
He said the Islamist Insurgencies beginning in 2009, responsible for Chibok girls kidnapping in 2014, Dapchi school kidnap in 2018 and smaller mass kidnaps since then has remained a major challenge that Tinubu must stand firm to fight.
He worried that the permanent outlaw class of “bandits” emerging into prominence in 2011 and swelling to 2015 due to government complicity is the root reason of the prolong fight against the criminals in the country.
He revealed that many kidnaps are sectarian in nature and not purely for profit as high percentage of priests and pastors kidnapped, very few Fulani people are kidnapped and all kidnap gangs in Northwest are self-identified Fulani men
He proffered solutions that the freedom of reporting accurately and cogently who are those behind any kind of crime.
“Change laws on guns ownership to allow ALL citizens to carry arms. Many terrorist invasions of towns in Middle belt involve targeted kidnapping of selected person. or groups such as schools or churches. Armed guards are needed.
“Religious leaders should pivot from religious quietism toward civic and social activism to expose and remove corrupt elected leaders at all federali offices and to subvert corruption at the local level. Religious leaders who accepted bribes from officials should be forced to step down.” He said