Some retired senior military officers have backed the call by a former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor (retd), for the declaration of a state of emergency to effectively address the Boko Haram insurgency.
In his new book, ‘Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum,’ Irabor argued that the absence of political will had hindered Nigeria’s response to the insurgency, stressing that an emergency proclamation backed by the National Assembly would mobilise all elements of national power towards ending the war.
Irabor, who served as the CDS under the Buhari administration, wrote, “The government had not yet mustered the political will and instruments to declare a war against Boko Haram. With an emergency proclamation, backed by the National Assembly, there will be greater and more focused attention by the government to galvanise all the elements of national power towards the war.
“It should be noted that strategy deals with the aggregate of the elements of national power. These include economic, political, social, diplomatic, information, and military.
‘’The political authority stands at the apex. The success at the tactical and operational levels will never translate to victory if there is failure at the strategic level. Tactical operations alone rarely bring about the desired outcome in political situations.”
Despite being degraded by the military following the killing of many of its top commanders and the arrest of hundreds of its foot soldiers, Boko Haram’s attacks in the North have intensified recently, causing widespread destruction and displacement.
Last week, the group seized the border town of Kirawa in Borno State, forcing thousands to flee to neighbouring Cameroon.
The attack led to the destruction of a military barracks, dozens of homes, and the palace of the district head. Over 5,000 people reportedly fled to Cameroon due to the recent attacks.
Boko Haram fighters also stormed an army base in Borno State, killing four soldiers and setting military equipment on fire. A coordinated attack on security formations in Banki was repelled by joint security forces, with one police constable sustaining minor injuries.
Governor Babagana Zulum has called for increased military presence in border communities, citing the need for adequate security.
More than 2.2 million people remain internally displaced in Nigeria.
The group’s ability to launch coordinated attacks has stretched security forces thin.
The humanitarian impact of the attacks continues to worsen, with many communities left without access to necessities.
Commenting on Irabor’s proposal, Brigadier General Peter Aro (retd.) described it as apt and borne out of deep operational and strategic experience.
He said a properly declared and legislatively backed state of emergency would give coherence and urgency to the fight against insurgency.
Aro noted, “General Lucky Irabor’s position is both apt and deeply informed by experience. Having served at the operational, strategic, and geo-strategic levels, he speaks with the authority of someone who truly knows his terrain.
“But it must be a genuine state of emergency — not the kind where governors and local government chairmen still operate as if it were business as usual. When politics steps aside and security takes full command, coordination improves, resources flow faster, and the chain of authority becomes clear. Such an approach, free from political interference, would give the military and other agencies the freedom to act with precision and integrity.”
Also supporting Irabor’s position, retired Major General Dayo Olukoju said while a state of emergency was necessary, it should be complemented by a broader, multilateral approach that addresses the root causes of terrorism.
Olukoju argued, “I agree with him. But like I do say, a multilateral approach should be added to it. I was in Maiduguri when we captured one of them, and the terrorist was unrepentant. We have the elite, traditional, spiritual, and military leaders — all of them have roles to play.
“The root causes are there — have we been able to look into them? Those causes include issues of freedom, identity, among others. If these things are not looked into, I hope we don’t have a resurgence. I am not saying the state of emergency can’t work — it’s perfect — but we can go further to do what I have earlier said.”
Col. Saka Folusho (retd.) also said there was nothing wrong in declaring a state of emergency on insecurity.
He, however, warned that alone would not solve Nigeria’s security problems unless the authorities tackle the illicit trade in arms and ammunition sustaining the violence.
“The issue at hand — which is the state of emergency — yes, it’s okay. There’s nothing wrong, but there are some things we have not been addressing. For you to decide to sell ammunition, it means there is a lot of interest you are getting from the other side you are selling to. If somebody decides to sell what is supposed to be used to defend himself, that’s like the person wants to commit suicide,” Folusho said.
He urged that commanders be given clear responsibility and that soldiers be properly equipped and not underpaid. “When you are paying somebody N50,000, you are not giving them all the equipment to operate.”
He also noted that the recent moves by the Nigerian Army to boost local production and capabilities are welcome, but called for more sustained effort.
Lending its voice, the Northern Elders Forum reiterated its demand for a state of emergency on insecurity in the northern part of the country.
The spokesperson for the forum, Prof. Abubakar Jiddere, in an interview with one of our correspondents, said, “In one of our press releases, we called for this. For the second time, we called for it twice. So, it is important for now that the government should declare a state of emergency on security.
“That does not mean suspending any government or doing any other thing. But rather by massively deploying security agencies. The police, the military, and all the armed, all armed policemen and then take very serious action.
“Areas that are prone to serious crisis, like Zamfara, Katsina, Niger, Kwara, Benue and in fact, Borno, where Boko Haram has been operating.
“So, until the Federal Government takes serious action and deploys massive security personnel, this issue will continue to be. It’s a matter of national emergency. National emergency requires declaration of a state of emergency on insecurity in Nigeria, which will require deployment of heavy police forces.”
The Federal Government could not be reached for comment on Irabor’s proposal. The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, promised to respond, but he had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.
The Borno state Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Prof. Usman Tar, said Irabor is entitled to his opinion on the declaration of a state of emergency on insecurity.
‘’He is entitled to his opinion; if you want further clarification, ask him. We have nothing to say about that,” Tar said
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives member representing Demsa, Numan and Lamurde federal constituency, Adamawa State, Kwamoti Laori, has said that only state policing can address insecurity in Nigeria.
Speaking to The PUNCH in Yola, the Peoples Democratic Party federal lawmaker said that state police stand out as the best solution to the country’s insecurity, pointing out that it was experimented with in the 60s and proved effective.
“In the 60s, we had state police in my area, Numan, called Friday police because they were working only on market days to assist the federal police to control crime on market days.
“When people with criminal intentions see the Friday police, they are afraid because the Friday police know them by name, their houses, so if they do anything, they can be traced and arrested. So, there was fear of committing a crime,” he said.
On how to manage the state police without politicians abusing the initiative, he said the law establishing state police should empower communities to nominate people the recruits.
“The reason is that they know the criminals in their communities, so they will not nominate such youth; everyone recruited will not be posted to another community, it will be his area where he knows everyone.”
In a related development, the African Democratic Congress, ADC, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over what it described as his administration’s insensitivity to the worsening insecurity across the country.
In a statement issued on Sunday via X by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC accused the President of neglecting his constitutional responsibility as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces while insecurity continues to escalate nationwide.
The party condemned Tinubu’s frequent attendance at social and political events amid rising attacks and killings, describing it as “unacceptable and irresponsible.”
Abdullahi said nine local government areas in Kwara State, once known for peace, were recently attacked by armed bandits, with residents allegedly forced to provide food, drinks, money, and other items as ransom.
He added that a similar attack occurred in Kogi State, where travellers were killed and several others, including women and children, were abducted.
The ADC noted that over 180 schools in northern Nigeria had been shut due to insecurity, adding that incidents of abductions, killings, and forced displacement were increasing in states such as Plateau, Zamfara, Benue, Niger, Kaduna, and Kwara.
The party faulted the Federal Government’s repeated assurances of “progress” in tackling insecurity, saying the claims were contradicted by the daily killings of innocent Nigerians.
It also criticised the President for failing to visit communities affected by violence, particularly in Plateau State, where hundreds were killed earlier in the year, accusing him of showing “cruel indifference” to the plight of citizens.
“The President’s claim of progress in the fight against insecurity is a tragic denial of reality,” Abdullahi said, arguing that Tinubu’s actions have further divided the country.
‘’The ADC urged the Federal Government to acknowledge the scale of the security crisis, engage directly with affected communities, improve coordination of military and police deployments, and provide transparent public reporting on security operations and spending.
“Nigeria is under attack. This administration must stop pretending otherwise. The time for symbolic gestures is over; what the country needs now is responsible leadership, operational urgency, and measurable results,” the statement concluded.
However, the All Progressives Congress countered the ADC, stating that Nigeria is steadily progressing from a period of insecurity to greater national security, insisting that recent arrests of high-profile kidnappers and gang leaders underscored the government’s unwavering commitment to protecting citizens and stabilising the country.
APC Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, said the ADC is confused, ‘’having failed to gain acceptance among the populace.’’
Ibrahim, in an interview with The PUNCH, stated, “We are not expecting anything different from them. You see, the simple fact is that they have not been able to gain acceptance from the public. They will continue to attack whatever the APC is doing. But Nigerians know better. Nigerians know that the country is moving from insecurity to greater security.
“Yes, there are challenges here and there, but the speed with which these challenges are being confronted is a signal that the APC takes security seriously. Don’t forget, only recently, the APC government announced the arrest of the most high-profile kidnappers and gangsters that have been terrorising the entire West African region.
“These people have been captured, they are in custody, and their confessions are helping the security operatives to nip these things in the bud. So, whatever the ADC is saying, it is out of desperation because they have not succeeded in gaining the acceptance of Nigerians.”
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