The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade, Thursday said ethnic militias constitute a severe threat to democracy.
He said this while receiving leaders and participants of the Executive Intelligence Management Course 19 from the National Institute of Security Studies, Abuja, who paid him a courtesy visit in his palace.
The Alaafin, according to a statement by his director on Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, stated Thursday that ethnic militias constitute a severe threat to democracy, by fostering insecurity, undermining state authority, and destabilising political processes through violence.
He stated that “ethnic militias are considered a disaster to any nation because they undermine state sovereignty, destroy national unity, and inflict severe damage on social, economic and political stability.
He added, “They often emerge from institutional failure and marginalised groups’ grievances, but their operations frequently evolve into violent criminality, such as kidnappings, killings and the destruction of infrastructures.”
While stating that Nigeria faces an array of security challenges beyond Boko Haram, Oba Owoade noted that the diversity of the country’s security threats require an innovative set of solutions adapted to each context.
He added that it would entail understanding the local dynamics of each threat and integrating them into a multidimensional national security strategy, and that Nigeria faces an array of security challenges beyond Boko Haram.
He said: “Distinguishing these threats and understanding their socio-geographic contours is essential for adapting customised solutions.
“Ethnic militias are considered a disaster to any nation because they undermine state sovereignty, destroy national unity, and inflict severe damage on social, economic, and political stability.”