The lawmaker representing Borno South Senatorial district, Ali Ndume, has lashed out at what he called the excessive deployment of policemen and security convoys to protect top public office holders, warning that the trend leaves the broader population defenceless.
The outspoken senator made his position known on Thursday during an appearance on the Politics Today programme on Channels Television, insisting that Nigeria’s security architecture must prioritise the environment, not individuals.
He questioned the logic behind the concentration of armed personnel around politicians who are not high on the protocol ladder.
Ndume did not stop at the lawmakers. He also turned his criticism toward the presidential movement system, describing it as oversized.
He said, “I went to one of my colleagues’ houses for dinner. And I saw more than 10 policemen. He is even my junior in the National Assembly. Some of them, if you see them coming, you will pull back thinking that maybe it’s the President or the Vice President who is coming.
“You can see even the president, the convoy that the president goes about with is too much. Secure the place, and when the president goes, you withdraw. Secure Abuja, and the president can even drive out, you know, himself.
“But when you secure personalities, and this is what is happening in Nigeria, then others, common people, as we call them, become vulnerable, and we don’t care. So if you secure Abuja, then you can drive at night. And let me tell you, this is what is happening in most countries.”
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