…Wants Govs.’ immunity suspended, military tribunals with death penalty
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Oxford-trained scholar, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, has issued one of the strongest security interventions yet, urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take radical, wartime-style measures to halt Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.
In a statement issued yesterday, Akinyemi called for the suspension of a British-era clause in the Armed Forces Act 2004 that mandates military retirement after 35 years of service or at age 60. He said Nigeria’s security collapse mirrors moments in global and national history – such as World War II and the Nigerian Civil War – when similar rules were temporarily paused to boost troop strength.
According to him, the moment demands “exceptional measures”. He urged the President to immediately recall all officers and soldiers who retired within the past six months and launch a nationwide recruitment drive to ensure every state is adequately garrisoned.
Akinyemi went further, calling for a nationwide state of emergency. During this period, he said, governors’ constitutional immunity should be suspended to hold them accountable if terrorists operate freely within their jurisdictions. Where necessary, he suggested troubled states could be placed under temporary military administration until order is restored.
The former minister also urged the creation of a military tribunal empowered to try terrorists and confirmed collaborators, with authority to impose the death penalty when guilt is proven.
“Nigeria must not tolerate a situation where members of terrorist groups appear openly at social gatherings, armed and unchallenged”, he warned, calling for coordinated, decisive action to reclaim national security.
The recommendations come as the country continues to battle banditry, insurgency, and widespread kidnappings across multiple regions.
Akinyemi, a respected academic and former foreign minister, argues that Nigeria has reached a breaking point – and only bold, extraordinary measures can steer the country back from the brink.
The Presidency has yet to comment on Akinyemi’s sweeping proposals.
