Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has said the country’s battle against terrorism, banditry and insurgency remains challenging because criminal groups continue to receive assistance from individuals within local communities.
Speaking on Friday at the 2026 edition of The Platform Nigeria, a Democracy Day event focused on national issues, the minister argued that security operations alone cannot end insecurity unless citizens actively reject and expose those aiding criminal networks.
Addressing participants during a session on governance, democracy and national security, Badaru noted that armed groups rely heavily on support systems that exist within communities where they operate.
According to him, insurgents and bandits are sustained through access to food supplies, intelligence, transportation and financial backing provided by collaborators.
“The success of security operations depends greatly on public cooperation. Criminal elements cannot survive in isolation; they depend on networks of support, and those networks must be dismantled if we are to achieve lasting peace,” he said.
The minister explained that contemporary security threats differ significantly from conventional warfare, making them more difficult to combat.
He stated that unlike traditional conflicts between nations, many of today’s threats originate from individuals who live among the very communities security agencies are tasked with protecting.
“When threats emerge from within society, identifying and isolating the perpetrators becomes far more complex.
“That is why community vigilance is essential in the fight against insecurity,” he added.
Furthermore, Badaru stressed that security agencies require intelligence and cooperation from residents to effectively track and neutralise criminal groups.
He warned that continued silence or support from members of the public gives terrorists and bandits the opportunity to regroup and expand their activities.
“The responsibility of securing the nation cannot rest solely on the military and other security institutions. Citizens also have a role to play by providing useful information and refusing to shield criminal elements,” he said.
The minister also urged Nigerians to strengthen national unity, warning that terrorist organisations often exploit social, ethnic and political divisions to advance their objectives.
He said efforts to promote peace and stability would be more successful if citizens remained united and resisted attempts by criminal groups to sow discord among communities.