Former Senator and APC chieftain, Ayodele Arise, has called on President Bola Tinubu to consider military intervention in Burkina Faso to secure the release of 11 Nigerian soldiers currently being held there.
Speaking on Arise TV, the former Ekiti North Senator suggested that a bold, decisive move could pressure the Burkinabe junta to release the personnel. Referencing Israel’s 1976 Entebbe Raid, Arise argued that military action has proven effective in such hostage situations.
He stated, “I think we should move and do something. As a matter of fact, once they are aware that we want to do that, I am sure that the man who is President there will have a rethink because they are our neighbours,”. He added, “Yes, we should be friendly with our neighbours, but at the same time we should let them know that they can’t be messing with our country,”.
Arise’s comments follow confirmation from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, that the 11 Nigerian military personnel remain in custody. Tuggar confirmed that diplomatic efforts are underway to resolve the situation, stating, “We are discussing how we can resolve this delicate matter as quickly as possible, and we’re talking. So it’s something that is being handled diplomatically,”.
The soldiers were arrested after a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft landed in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, which the Burkinabe Minister of Territorial Administration claimed was a violation of national airspace regulations without proper clearance.
Separately, Arise weighed in on the Senate’s screening of ambassadorial nominees, criticizing the practice of allowing candidates to “take a bow and go”. He noted that while the President and security agencies might have done their due diligence, the practice leads to a lost opportunity for public engagement and for Senators to be educated.
He concluded, “But many of us will prefer that the Senate ask questions. Let the nominees justify the nomination from Mr President because he himself can’t know every one of them. He is going to rely on the security report and the reference from those who work
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