Former vice-presidential candidate Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed has dismissed President Bola Tinubu’s new national security plan, describing it as “a joke” that fails to address the root causes of Nigeria’s insecurity.

Speaking on Arise News, Baba-Ahmed argued that the declaration of a state of emergency on national security “misses the point completely” and criticized the government’s strategy as misguided, wasteful, and riddled with corruption.

“He has missed the point completely. This declaration of a state of emergency is a joke. Leave it at that,” he said.

Baba-Ahmed further rejected the administration’s plan to recruit and rapidly train thousands of new security personnel, insisting that the crisis is not caused by a lack of manpower.

“It is not about numbers. The real issue is reducing corruption in the war against insecurity. How much of the money budgeted for security actually reaches the frontline, and how much is diverted into the 2027 elections? Once you remove that corruption, Nigeria will become secure,” he said.

He added that the Nigerian Police, if freed from political interference, could tackle banditry and insecurity effectively.

“Remove the Nigerian Armed Forces. The Nigerian Police alone can wipe out insecurity in two months. Remove corruption, remove political interest, give them support, and they will do it,” Baba-Ahmed asserted.

On the overall performance of the Tinubu administration, he warned that the government is navigating a precarious situation.

“This government is skating on thin ice. The ice is so thin you cannot believe it. We are in a very precarious situation,” he concluded.