Call for sack of Service Chiefs politically motivated – Northern Group
…Says military showing renewed professionalism, urges Tinubu to sustain backing
By: Austine Agbo Emmanuel, Kaduna
A coalition under the aegis of Northern Nigeria Bridge-Builders has thrown its weight behind the nation’s service chiefs, dismissing recent calls for their removal as “ill-motivated, uncharitable and politically driven.”
At a press conference held on Thursday at the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Kaduna, the group described Dominic Alancha, convener of the Northern Ethnic National Forum who demanded the sack of the military high command, as “a featherweight activist without grassroots base.”
Convener of the coalition, Comrade Goodheart Archie Sheyin, flanked by the group’s secretary, Dr. Joshua Madaki, told journalists that Alancha’s statement does not reflect the mood of northern communities where terrorism and banditry have inflicted the heaviest toll.
“His views are not a true reflection of the region. Northern communities that have borne the brunt of insecurity are beginning to experience relative peace due to the coordinated efforts of the service chiefs. We say here abundantly clear: Mr. Alancha does not speak for us,” Sheyin said.
The group referenced recent remarks by Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, who declared that with sufficient operational freedom, security agencies could end banditry in his state within two months.
They also cited the directive of Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, ordering troops to take decisive action against criminals without hesitation, a move which, according to them, has earned popular support from religious clerics, lawmakers and civil society.
Quoting Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, chairman of the 9th Senate Committee on the Army, the coalition said demands for the removal of the top brass were “outlandish and unpatriotic,” stressing that the military high command possesses the training and experience required to win the war against insurgents if adequately equipped and motivated.
The group further recalled that civil society organisations such as the Campaign Against Injustice (CAI) had also condemned Alancha’s call, warning that such positions could demoralise troops “who daily lay down their lives to keep Nigeria one.”
Highlighting reports of recent military gains across all six geopolitical zones, the coalition maintained that progress is visible in many communities once under siege.
“These service chiefs are men at their prime, combining maturity with youthful energy. Their synergy, loyalty to hierarchy and community engagement strategies are already producing results. Replacing them now would amount to an untimely substitution,” Sheyin added.
The Northern Nigeria Bridge-Builders accused what they termed “self-styled Kaduna Mafias” of orchestrating campaigns to discredit the service chiefs ahead of 2027 elections, insisting that insecurity should not be politicised.
The group commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what it called “a patriotic decision in assembling a competent crop of security leaders fit for the challenges of the moment.” It also applauded the efforts of Governors Uba Sani (Kaduna), Babagana Zulum (Borno) and Dauda Lawal (Zamfara) for complementing military operations with community-based initiatives.
Concluding, the coalition urged Nigerians, particularly the youth, to channel their energy into constructive nation-building.
“Our troops need motivation, not discouragement. We say no to evil machinations that could weaken our region or the country. Enough is enough,” the statement declared.
