The killing of two top military commanders, soldiers in Bornu state and scores of civilians across the north by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP, terrorists is not only unfortunate and condemnable but represents a frightening escalation of the war against insecurity, an increasing sophistication and operational boldness by the terror groups as well as exposes avoidable vulnerabilities within Nigerian Armed Forces.
However, rather than bemoan the incalculable loss or allow some politicians make political capital of it, we demand that the setback should serve as a wake-up call for President Bola Tinubu and the military high-command to as a matter of national urgency effect sweeping reforms across the nation’s security architecture, including a complete overhaul of military leadership, boost intelligence coordination, equip the armed with sophisticated arms and ammunition, prioritized troops welfare, execute results-driven counterterrorism strategy and ensure closer inter-agency collaboration.
Also, the citizens especially those in insurgence-ridden communities should redouble their support for security personnel through timely sharing of intelligence and avoid actions that could undermine or jeopardize their efforts. As a further step, the federal government and the National Assembly should fast track the necessary machinery for an amendment of the 1999 Constitution to pave the way for the birth of the long-awaited State Police as soon as practicable to enable governors as chief security officers of the 36 states, establish security outfits to complement the Nigeria Police Force to safeguard lives and property nationwide since the primary function of government is the welfare and security of citizens.
It is regrettable in our view, that terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements have made their fatherland a killing field since President Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, such that Nigeria has recorded an escalation in terrorist violence, banditry, and communal bloodshed, resulting in mass civilian casualties and repeated lethal attacks on military bases in the North East especially in Borno state. The attacks have also created a climate of fear, disrupted education with school closures, and destroyed rural economies, and widespread displacement of millions of persons.
According to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, no fewer than 30,000 Nigerians have been massacred in violent incidents across the country since 2023 while the Global Terrorism Index by the Institute for Economics and Peace asserted that terrorism-related deaths in Nigeria rose significantly in the past year, with the country now ranking among the most terrorized nations globally despite the humongous yearly budgetary allocations to defence sector.
It is on record that the victims of vicious terror include the massacre of about 162 civilians in Kwara State in 2025, the killing of over 100 residents in Yelwata, Benue State, and recent killing of over 40 people on Palm Sunday in Jos, Plateau State, and in Kagarko, Kaduna State as well as Benue and Nasarawa States. Sadly too, the expanding geo-graphical spread of violence across rural and urban communities across Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi, Niger and other states has become both a national and global concern prompting a security collaboration between the United States and Nigeria. Prior to this, the former has designated the latter as a Country of Particular Concern following an alleged genocide targeting Christians.
Surprisingly notwithstanding the engagement with America through the Joint Working Group and the presence of American troops in the country, intelligence sharing and training of their Nigerian counterparts, the terrorists seem to have become more emboldened and deadly, launching ceaseless coordinated attacks on military bases and regularly ambushing troops despite continuous targeting of their hideouts by the Nigerian Air Force.
Regrettably, these daring confrontations in the last six months alone, claimed the lives of numerous insurgents, soldiers and some senior military officers including Brigadier General Musa Uba, who was captured after an ambush near Damboa in Borno and later executed by ISWAP fighters in November last year.
This is a sharp contrast of what played out in Iran recently when the rescue of a US weapons system officer involved a massive operation with 155 aircraft and 96 service members specifically on the ground during the final extraction phase. Again, another Brigadier-General, Oseni Braimah, the Commander of the 29 Task Force Brigade Headquarters in Benisheikh, Borno and others were killed recently by terrorists indicating a failure of the security architecture.
Therefore in our view, the resurgence of precise terrorist attacks on both civilians and heavily armed military personnel can be attributed to several factors among them that there is dearth of modern and sophisticated weapons on the part of the military personnel, unlike the non-state actors who experience has shown have embraced the latest weaponry including the use of drones in targeting the enemy, inadequate welfare of troops which can lower their morale and possible leakage of classified security secrets by insiders in the armed forces to the terrorists.
There is also empirical evidence to support claims by Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd), and Senate President Godswill Akpabio that the worsening insecurity has a direct link with the forthcoming 2027 general election. Citing the explosions that rocked Maiduguri in March, Musa revealed, “The last time was about three bomb blasts in a particular day. To tell you that those things were targeted, it probably has to do with politics because if you notice, anytime is a political year, it (insecurity) goes up’’. “And why is that so? Individuals want to take advantage to make the government look weak or to show that there’s no need keeping the government’’ in power.
But we challenge the nation’s intelligence agencies not to leave any stone unturned to ascertain the veracity or otherwise of such serious allegations with the view to getting the sponsors to account for their evil deeds and face the full wrath of the law as it is evidently clear that with deepening insecurity and widespread instability, there may be no nation left to govern after the polls next year.
We note with concern that the worsening security challenges is taking a heavy toll on the country’s image and attracting international concern about Nigeria’s glaring fragile security architecture. For example, the United States recently evacuated its embassy staff from Abuja, which is indicative of global dwindling confidence in the ability of the world’s most populous black nation, which currently ranks fourth on the Global Terrorism Index, to safeguard lives and property of citizens.
However, it is worthy of note that President Tinubu seems to have realized the far-reaching implications of allowing terrorists to overrun military bases and intensify their killing of both uniform men and civilians. While extending condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers, he vowed that the federal government will never forget their sacrifices and further underscored his administration’s commitment to giving robust support to the Armed Forces with modern equipment and improved welfare of troops. Truly, our gallant officers and men deserve every material and financial backing for them to roundly defeat the rampaging terrorists. Time is definitely running out and it is our candid view that the government owes the citizenry a statutory responsibility to respond with urgency, do the needful for the military to eliminate the enemies of peace and ensure the unity and survival of the country.
For a better society
Follow us across our platforms:
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/championnewsonline/
Facebook – https://web.facebook.com/championnewsonline
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/champion-newspapers-limited/
https://x.com/championnewsng/
You can also like and comment on our YouTube videos.
https://youtu.be/QIBfD1tT80w?si=R4Qf3so2LxYu3GC2
