A Coalition of 102 Civil Society for Peace and Good Governance (COSOGOG) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the service chiefs for failing to curb banditry in Nigeria.
The coalition made this call in reaction to the rescue of an American citizen, Philip Watson, by American troops in Nigeria.
It was learnt that the American citizen, 27, was kidnapped in Masalata region, Niger Republic, and held hostage in northern Nigeria.
The Pentagon said US Navy SEAL Team Six led the overnight operation in northern Nigeria, according to The Washington Post.
‘We, the entire management and members of this group wish to commend the American government and their Navy SEAL Team Six for rescuing one of its citizens who was kidnapped in the Niger Republic and later moved to Nigeria by bandits’, COSOGOG National Coordinator, Ibrahim Gadzama, and the National Secretary, Gboyega Fayemi, said in a statement.
‘This show of patriotism and commitment by the US government is phenomenal.
‘However, this action by the US SEAL is not only a very big breach of our sovereignty as a nation but also indicates that there is a big gap in our country’s security architecture.
‘We call for immediate action against those entrusted with the security of our nation. All the service chiefs must be sacked and replaced with committed younger generals before it is too late.
‘We know that in a matter of days, we may begin to get some cosmetic responses from our security forces justifying the raid or giving excuses for their failure, but the obvious fact is that this raid by America Navy SEAL has further confirmed our position that our security chiefs are not on top of their game and need to go home’.
Walton was said to have been abducted by six men armed with assault rifles on motorcycles who forcibly took him away.
Source: COSOGOG
Photo source: Nigerian Army