Former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has described national security as the foundation of any functional country, stressing that without safety, a nation cannot truly exist.

Speaking during an interview on TVC, Fayose said insecurity in any part of Nigeria whether in the North, South, East or West threatens the entire country.

“A nation that is not secured is no nation. It doesn’t matter where the challenge is coming from. Security comes first,” Fayose said.

He explained that this reality is reflected in government spending priorities, noting that security often takes a significant portion of national budgets.

“That is why when budgets are done, the allocation for security is always huge. The people matter, and the security of the people is all that matters,” he stated.

Fayose also welcomed the recent international security interventions targeted at terrorists groups, expressing relief over reports that the operations were effective and recorded no civilian casualties.

“I thank God for an intervention that is capable of dealing with ISIS and related organisations that have refused to allow Nigerians to sleep.”

“From what I read, there were no casualties, but there were intense efforts to hit these terrorist groups. To me, that is a welcoming development,” he said.

Addressing concerns over national sovereignty and religious targeting, Fayose dismissed such arguments as misplaced sentiments.

“Those are sentiments. Nigerians often focus on sentiments instead of the real issues.”

“This was not about Muslims or Christians. It was targeted at the enemies of Nigeria those encroaching on our borders and trying to take over our country,” he said.

He added that foreign security forces cannot distinguish between religious identities and that the operation was purely aimed at eliminating threats to national stability.

“There is no way anyone can tell whether you are a Muslim or a Christian. What matters is that these enemies of Nigeria are eliminated,” Fayose said.

Fayose concluded by asserting that no responsible leader would compromise the nation’s security for religious or political reasons.

“No president would compromise Nigeria for religion. What is important is to eliminate these elements for the good of the country,” he said.