A former senator representing Ekiti North and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ayodele Arise, has called on President Bola Tinubu to consider military intervention in Burkina Faso to secure the release of 11 Nigerian soldiers currently being detained in the West African country.
Speaking on Arise TV on Saturday, Arise said while Nigeria’s military is stretched thin due to internal security operations, a bold move could pressure the Burkinabe junta to release the soldiers.
Referencing Israel’s 1976 Entebbe Raid in Uganda, Arise argued that history has shown the effectiveness of decisive military action in such situations.
He said, “I think we should move and do something. As a matter of fact, once they are aware that we want to do that, I am sure that the man who is President there will have a rethink because they are our neighbours.
“Yes, we should be friendly with our neighbours, but at the same time we should let them know that they can’t be messing with our country.”
Arise also backed Nigeria’s military response to the recent coup attempt in the Republic of Benin, stating that President Tinubu acted within reason even before formally notifying the National Assembly.
He dismissed suggestions that the President had breached constitutional procedures, arguing that national security decisions sometimes require immediate action.
His comments came a day after the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, confirmed that the 11 Nigerian military personnel remain in custody in Burkina Faso.
Speaking at the ECOWAS Commission in Abuja, Tuggar said diplomatic efforts were underway to resolve the situation.
“We are discussing how we can resolve this delicate matter as quickly as possible, and we’re talking. So it’s something that is being handled diplomatically,” the minister said.
He also clarified that the Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft that landed in Bobo Dioulasso, southwestern Burkina Faso, was not involved in any operation related to the coup in the Benin Republic.
However, Burkina Faso’s Minister of Territorial Administration, Emile Zerbo, claimed the aircraft violated national airspace regulations and failed to obtain proper clearance, prompting the soldiers’ arrest.
Beyond regional security, Arise also weighed in on recent Senate screenings of ambassadorial nominees, criticising the practice of allowing candidates to “take a bow and go” without robust questioning.
He said, “There are two ways to look at that. It is either the President and the security agencies have done a good job of due diligence of the candidates, and the Senators have read their profiles, resumes, achievements and contributions to national development.
“It is a learning process because the fact that you are a Senator doesn’t mean that you know everything. So, the opportunity for engagement, information for people to know their professions and educating the Senators at large has been lost.”
“But many of us will prefer that the Senate ask questions. Let the nominees justify the nomination from Mr President because he himself can’t know every one of them. He is going to rely on the security report and the reference from those who work around him.”
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