A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Bakare, has argued that Nigeria should prioritise funding retired military personnel rather than paying ransom money to bandits, describing the latter as counterproductive to national security.

Speaking during an interview on Arise News on Thursday, Bakare backed the Federal Government’s move to deploy retired military officers to tackle insecurity in ungoverned spaces, saying the initiative reflects better judgment in the use of public resources.

He noted that the country has already invested heavily in training military personnel who retire while still capable of contributing meaningfully to security operations, insisting that engaging such veterans makes more sense than negotiating with criminals.

“We would rather give the money to our veterans than give the money to all these bandits and terrorists in the name of (ransom for) kidnapping,” Bakare said.

He questioned the logic behind paying huge sums to kidnappers, warning that ransom payments only strengthen criminal networks and weaken the state’s ability to enforce law and order.

“Which one is better? Giving a bandit who is next to being a nobody one hundred million naira, or paying competent people who can actually secure the country?” he asked.

Bakare further argued that the absence of fear among criminals is largely driven by the financial incentives attached to kidnapping, stressing that redirecting resources to trained personnel would restore deterrence.

“The element of fear is no longer there, and that is something we should care about,” he said, adding that insecurity thrives when crime becomes more profitable than lawful service.

He also maintained that deploying veterans to forests and other ungoverned areas would allow the police to focus on cities and communities, improving coordination within the security architecture.

“When there is division of labour, there is that tendency for things to work out fine,” Bakare said, describing the use of retired soldiers as a practical step toward restoring order.

Bakare maintained that strengthening security through experienced personnel, rather than rewarding criminality with ransom payments, is essential to restoring public confidence and achieving lasting peace across the country. (AriseNews TV)