The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) has called on the Federal Government to urgently mobilise, empower, and fully integrate local communities into the country’s security architecture, insisting that grassroots human intelligence remains the most effective tool against terrorism and banditry.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by its National Chairman, Falalu Bello, the party warned that Nigeria’s rapidly deteriorating security situation demands a shift toward community-based intelligence gathering, which it said is “central to restoring stability and regaining control” of the nation’s internal security space.
“The communities possess vital human intelligence that the security agencies desperately need,” the party said, stressing that without a structured grassroots security framework, government forces will continue to operate at a disadvantage against increasingly sophisticated armed groups.
The PRP also demanded an immediate end to all forms of negotiations—formal or informal—between the government and any individuals or organisations linked to terrorism. It cautioned that such engagements “dangerously undermine the authority of the state” and embolden criminal networks.
Recent attacks across the country formed part of the PRP’s concerns. These include the abduction of over 315 students and teachers from St Mary’s School in Papiri, Niger State; the kidnapping of 25 schoolgirls in Kebbi; the killing of police personnel and vigilantes in Kwara and Bauchi; the murder of eight Civilian Joint Task Force members in Gwoza, Borno; and the killing of a police officer in Geidam, Yobe. Four rice farmers were also murdered in Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The party further expressed alarm over the killing of senior security officers, including Brigadier General M. Uba, saying the spread of terror infrastructure beyond Sambisa Forest points to “a dangerous erosion of state authority”.
Accusing government officials of offering “empty assurances, superficial reforms, and political theatrics,” the PRP said communities continue to face relentless violence, mass abductions, and displacement.
It described the situation as a “national emergency” characterised by a breakdown in intelligence coordination, weakened operational capacity, and a lack of political will.
