By Cross Udo, Abuja
Former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, on Thursday threw his weight behind the Federal Government’s increasingly aggressive counter-insurgency strategy, endorsing the military’s shoot-on-sight directive against terrorists and bandits and insisting that sustained battlefield pressure remains Nigeria’s most effective route to lasting peace.
The Borno South senator also rejected calls for the reintegration of repentant terrorists into society, warning that rewarding former insurgents with rehabilitation programmes risks demoralising troops and insulting victims of terrorism across the country.
Speaking after a closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Ndume argued that recent military gains across several theatres of operation have shown that insurgent groups are steadily losing territory, influence and operational capacity under relentless offensives by security forces.
According to him, this is not the time for negotiations, concessions or amnesty programmes, but a period for sustained military action aimed at dismantling terrorist networks permanently.
“If the tempo is sustained, I am sure this thing will come to an end,” Ndume told State House correspondents.
The lawmaker’s comments come amid renewed debate over the Federal Government’s deradicalisation and reintegration initiatives as well as growing calls in some quarters for dialogue with armed groups.
Ndume, however, maintained that terrorists and bandits have forfeited any moral claim to leniency once they take up arms against the State and innocent citizens.
“You don’t spare a bandit. You don’t spare a terrorist. Once you identify a terrorist, because if you don’t kill him, he will kill you,” he declared.
His endorsement follows recent comments by Defence Minister Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, who reportedly instructed frontline troops not to hesitate when confronting terrorists and bandits in combat situations.
The minister had equally ruled out negotiations with terrorists and condemned ransom payments, arguing that such measures only embolden criminal groups, fund future attacks and prolong insecurity.
Ndume also opposed the reintegration of repentant insurgents into society, insisting that individuals who participated in acts of terror should face justice rather than rehabilitation programmes that could send the wrong message to law-abiding citizens.
He further argued that those who provide intelligence, logistics, shelter, food or financial support to criminal groups should be treated as accomplices and prosecuted accordingly.
The senator, whose constituency has remained one of the epicentres of Boko Haram insurgency for over a decade, said recent military operations have produced encouraging results across the North-East, North-West and parts of the South-East.
He cited the elimination of notorious terrorist commanders, the surrender of several insurgent leaders and the disruption of criminal supply chains as evidence that the military strategy is yielding results.
Although he declined to disclose details of his discussions with President Tinubu, Ndume revealed that security and economic hardship dominated their conversation.
He disclosed that upon arriving for his scheduled appointment, he had to wait while the President held consultations with the nation’s security chiefs.
“I had an appointment for 3 p.m., but I had to wait because the President was in a security meeting. As you can see, the service chiefs came in. That means the President is sitting up,” he said.
Ndume said the military campaign against banditry in the North-West had intensified considerably, while operations in the North-East had continued to force terrorists onto the defensive.
He also acknowledged improvements in security conditions in the South-East, where incidents linked to separatist violence have declined significantly in recent months.
“The South-East issue is not as before, and that is one area where we need to commend the President, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Army and other security agencies for what they are doing,” he stated.
The former Senate Chief Whip welcomed the recent decision by the 19 Northern governors to establish a regional security trust fund, describing the initiative as a significant boost to ongoing efforts to strengthen intelligence gathering, logistics and inter-agency coordination.
According to him, the fight against insecurity cannot be left solely to the Federal Government.
“You don’t leave security entirely to the Federal Government. If governors are contributing resources, they should work with existing security institutions. The more coordinated the effort, the stronger the response,” he said.
Beyond security, Ndume urged the Tinubu administration to intensify measures to reduce the economic hardship facing Nigerians, saying that improved coordination of government interventions would help ease pressure on households and businesses.
He, however, stressed that effective communication remains one of the administration’s biggest political challenges.
The senator advised President Tinubu to speak directly to Nigerians more frequently through national broadcasts and regular engagements rather than relying solely on spokespersons and government officials to communicate major policies and decisions.
“I told Mr President that he should speak directly to Nigerians. People expect their leader to tell them what is going on rather than leave others to speak on his behalf. That is very important,” he said.
Ndume disclosed that the President welcomed his suggestions and agreed on the need for wider consultations with stakeholders on issues affecting the country.
“A country like Nigeria must have problems, and the President alone cannot solve all the problems. He needs people who can share ideas with him because two heads are better than one,” he added.
For the outspoken senator, Nigeria’s battle against terrorism is entering a decisive phase — one that requires not softer policies but sustained military pressure, stronger coordination, and clearer communication between the government and the citizens it seeks to protect.
