A former lawmaker from Kaduna Central Senatorial district, Senator Shehu Sani, has frowned at moves by the country’s security apparatus to divert defence budgets into building shopping malls, hotels, and universities.

Reacting to the rising tide of insecurity in the country on Politics Today, monitored live on Channels television on Friday night, Senator Shehu maintained that every penny earmarked for defence and security funds should be spent on defending the nation against insurgents alone if Nigeria is serious about facing terrorism and banditry head-on.

He added that it is wrong for the security apparatus in the country to embark on building shopping malls, plazas, and hotels for the National Association of Navy and military wives while those on the battlefield suffer shortages of equipment and food.

‘Defence and security funds should go for defence; money meant for the Ministry of Defence and military should not be used to build plazas, hotels for the National Association of Navy, and military wives. it is for those on the battlefield to achieve the desired results. Today, almost all security apparatuses have markets, plazas and shopping malls. I even heard they have universities,” he lamented.

Shehu urged the Nigerian government to step up its efforts and fight insecurity in the country by adopting a more sophisticated method. He also described the war against terrorism as a global problem, warning that the war against terrorism cannot be won in a day.

”It is a known fact that the Nigerian state as a country is faced with a war against banditry, which has been going on for a decade. It is also a fact that what we are fighting in the country is not just about us against the terrorists but the same problem is facing other nations like Niger republic, Mali and Burkina Faso.

”We have talked too much about insecurity, but what is needed for us is to step up our action because our action as a nation has not been able to eradicate the action of terrorism in the country. You cannot win the war against terrorism in 24 hours,” he said.