By Umar Yusuf

YOLA — FORMER Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has observed that as the country marches toward the 2019 general elections, the current wave of insecurity will increase, hence the need to beef up security.

Abubakar spoke, yesterday, when he visited survivors of the recent suicide bomb attack in Mubi recuperating at the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.

•Atiku

He said: “As we march towards 2019, insurgency, kidnapping, armed robbery, thuggery and other forms of insecurity are bound to be on the increase. The Federal Government should as a matter of policy beef up security to cope with the rising trend.”

Abubakar suggested that the military should be detached from operating in the internal security of the country, stressing that the DSS, police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, and other para-military organisations should be re-organised to meet the current challenges.

He advised the Federal Government to “re-equip the para-military organs and give them all the necessary working materials to enable them withstand the current wave of insecurity.”

He stressed the need for training and re-training of security operations to enable them meet up with the challenges of the 21st century because  Nigeria currently does not have the required security men to meet the security challenges.

Abubakar donated N10 million to FMC for the treatment of victims of insurgency attacks and others receiving treatment at the centre.

Speaking, the FMC Chief Medical Director, Professor Auwal Abubakar, disclosed that no fewer than 300 patients had so far benefitted from Abubakar’s donations to the centre.