A heated debate has erupted across Nigeria following a controversial suggestion by retired General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, former Chief of Army Staff, to impose a nationwide lockdown to tackle the escalating banditry crisis. The proposal, aired on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily has drawn sharp criticism, notably from Senator Shehu Sani, who labeled it a “dumb idea” in a post on X on Saturday, August 23, 2025.
Buratai, advocating a decisive strategy, likened the approach to the COVID-19 lockdown, stating, “The same level of national mobilization used during the pandemic should now be deployed to confront terrorism, banditry, and other violent crimes.” He argued that a unified effort could halt the rising tide of insecurity, citing the complexity of Nigeria’s security challenges, which have seen bandit groups expand from rural raids to targeting major cities and infrastructure.
However, Sani, a former National Assembly member known for his candid critiques, dismissed the idea as impractical. In his X post, he wrote, “To shut down the whole country in order to fight bandits is a dumb idea.”
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