Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday cautioned against despair over Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, insisting that no country in the world, including the United States, is immune to crime.
Akpabio made the remarks while presiding over plenary during a tense debate on the killing of Brigadier-General Uba Musa in Borno State, the abduction of 25 schoolgirls, and the murder of a vice principal in Kebbi State — all incidents occurring within a 24-hour span.
As lawmakers grappled with how best to respond to the escalating violence, Akpabio urged perspective, noting the size of the country and the mounting pressure on security operatives.
“We sympathise deeply with the families affected, but we must remember that Nigeria is a very large country,” he said. “It is not even possible to deploy one policeman to each polling unit during elections. Our security agencies are overstretched and often find themselves in situations they shouldn’t ordinarily be.”
The Senate President stressed that insecurity is a global challenge, warning against the narrative that crime is unique to Nigeria.
“There is no society without crime. Even the almighty America records crime daily,” he said. “But we must continue to do our best to minimise it.”
