Security Chiefs Face Growing Criticism Over Rising Terrorism, Banditry In Nigeria

The Nigerian security chiefs, including the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa; Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla; and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, are under increasing pressure following a surge in violent attacks across the country.

The national security team, also including the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, and Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, are facing criticism as a series of attacks across Plateau, Benue, Borno, Kebbi, Katsina, Abia, and Kwara states have left at least 250 people dead in the past two weeks.

In Plateau State, reports indicate that at least 113 people were killed when suspected Fulani militants invaded Zike, Kimakpa, and other areas in Bokkos and Bassa local government areas.

Naijaonpoint understands that the brutal attacks have intensified calls for action against the insurgents who have been wreaking havoc in the region.

In Benue State, the situation worsened when suspected armed herders launched attacks on communities in the Ukum and Logo local government areas on April 17, 2025. Initial reports confirmed 20 deaths, but the toll later increased to 55 after more bodies were discovered on Sunday, April 19.

Emergence Of New Terror Group And Growing Banditry

In Kwara State, the new terror group, Mahmuda, has been responsible for the deaths of 15 vigilantes and villagers following an attack on the Kemaanji community in the Kaiama local government area.

The group, which has reportedly taken control of several areas within Babana and Wawa districts in Borgu local government area of Niger State, has raised concerns over the spreading influence of armed groups in the region.

Videos circulating on social media have shown soldiers expressing frustrations over a lack of adequate weapons to combat the growing threat of terrorists and bandits in affected areas.

Meanwhile, notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji, continues to terrorise communities in the North-West. Despite a directive from President Bola Tinubu in September 2024, ordering military chiefs to relocate to Sokoto State in a bid to rid the region of terrorism and apprehend Turji, no significant progress has been made in bringing the bandit kingpin to justice.

Turji has been linked to multiple mass killings, kidnappings, and attacks on villages in Zamfara, Sokoto, and parts of Katsina.

While the military, led by the Chief of Defence Operations, General Emeka Onumajuru, claimed in February that Turji was being actively tracked and would soon be neutralised, the bandit leader remains elusive.

Turji’s fighters continue to launch deadly attacks, with reports suggesting that he controls several villages in the North-West, where his men operate with minimal resistance, despite the deployment of additional troops and intelligence resources.

Civil Society Groups Express Frustration

The continued failure to apprehend Turji has prompted criticism from civil society organisations, particularly in Kebbi State.

The Secretary General of the Association for Peace and Good Governance, Usman Anache in an interview with Punch,  expressed outrage over the lack of concrete action taken by the military.

Speaking in Birnin Kebbi, Anache said, “The north has been turned into a killing field with no concrete action taken by the service chiefs.”

Lawmaker And Security Experts Criticise Inaction Over Rising Insecurity

The lawmaker representing Bassa/Jos North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Daniel Asama, has claimed that security agencies are aware of the masterminds behind the recent killings in Plateau State, but have failed to act on the information.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, Asama stated that the security agencies were aware of the sources of the attacks and the routes used by the perpetrators.

“The security agencies know where these attacks have been coming from. The people in the community can show them the routes of these attackers,” Asama stated, urging authorities to act decisively to address the rising violence in the region.

In response to the rising wave of violence, former Chief of Defence Training and Planning, General Ishola Williams (retd.), in an interview with Punch, accused the service chiefs of benefiting from the ongoing insecurity in Nigeria.

Speaking on the matter, General Williams criticised the lack of commitment from the military and police, claiming that the service chiefs were more interested in maintaining their positions than addressing the underlying issues of insecurity.

“Early this year, we were clamouring for the review of the security architecture. They said there’s no reason for that. It appears that the service chiefs agree with the President that the military and police are doing well and they don’t want to push for a re-organisation; they don’t want any change,” Williams said.

He suggested that the service chiefs were benefiting from the current situation and were unwilling to make any real changes to the security framework. He also noted that the police and military were not addressing the growing problems of banditry and terrorism.

A Chief Security Officer at Beacon Consulting, Kabir Adamu, criticised the lack of coordination among Nigeria’s security agencies.

According to Adamu, the fragmented approach of the agencies—operating in silos—has allowed criminals to exploit gaps in the security infrastructure.

He emphasised that the lack of cooperation, especially along Nigeria’s porous borders, has contributed to the inability of the agencies to tackle insecurity effectively.

“The security agencies are not doing enough because they are operating in silos, with no coordination. Our borders are still porous because our security agencies don’t cooperate. The customs and immigration that have responsibility for border security don’t have enough power to man the borders,” Adamu stated.

He further questioned the effectiveness of the National Security Council, highlighting the lack of coordinated efforts in addressing the growing threats.

Civil Rights Group Calls For Dismissal Of Incompetent Security Chiefs

The National President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Debo Adeniran, expressed frustration over the federal government’s failure to secure the lives and property of Nigerian citizens.

In a statement, Adeniran demanded that the service chiefs be given specific targets for security performance and dismissed if they failed to meet them. He accused the service chiefs of wasting public funds and failing to address the nation’s security challenges adequately.

“There should be targets, and if they don’t meet up, they should be dismissed because they are incompetent, and they are wasting public funds.

“Their removal does not stop anything. All of them are walking hand in hand. If you remove them, they are still part of the same entity,” Adeniran said.

The Chief Executive Officer of Security Watch Africa, Patrick Agbamu, also weighed in on the debate, calling for greater accountability from Nigeria’s security chiefs.

Agbamu argued that providing security agencies with the necessary resources and tools would allow them to perform effectively, and if they fail to deliver, they should be held accountable and removed from office.

“The security operatives are not angels. Providing them with what they need to work with is when they can be questioned or removed. Then the person being brought in will know they have the tools to do their work,” Agbamu concluded.

Retired Colonel Advocates National Security Summit Amid Rising Insecurity

Lieutenant Colonel Abdulwahab Ademola (retd) has cautioned that replacing Nigeria’s service chiefs may not effectively address the growing insecurity in the country. Instead, he emphasised the urgent need to organise a national security summit to explore comprehensive solutions.

Speaking in an interview, Ademola stressed that while the country’s security forces had shown their limitations in tackling the rise of insurgency, it was now up to state governors to find ways to bolster community-based defence.

He argued that local communities should be empowered to defend themselves in the face of increasing attacks by bandits and insurgents.

Ademola proposed that governors take immediate action to curtail criminal activities, particularly through the use of group motorcycles, which he believes are often used by criminals. He suggested that a ban should be enforced on such motorcycles, particularly in forested areas where bandits frequently hide and operate.

“The governors should ban group motorcycles, and anyone found in the forest should just be neutralised,” Ademola said. He added that such measures would help tackle the growing threats from criminal groups operating across the country.

Ademola also questioned the federal government’s hesitation to devolve security powers to state governments, which he believes is crucial for effective policing.

“There is supposed to be state police, and till now, nobody is saying anything about it anymore,” he said, highlighting that without state-level control over policing, the country may struggle to overcome its security challenges.

“Otherwise, what is wrong with the president facing it squarely?” Ademola asked, criticising the lack of concrete action from federal authorities.

Ademola also condemned the current military equipment, stating that it was inadequate to confront the severe security threats facing the nation. He warned that with the current state of affairs, there was no clear end in sight to the country’s ongoing security crisis.

“We have gone through this before during Buratai’s long stay, and people were agitating that the service chiefs should be changed,” Ademola noted.

“It has become very clear that these institutions are confronted with a culture of sustaining themselves through what has become their mode of existence,” he added, referring to the entrenched system within the military that may be contributing to the lack of progress.