Nigeria, a nation often referred to as the giant of Africa, is deeply troubled. The country is currently in turmoil and quandary, trying to fix its security challenges.
Every day, one is inundated with horrible stories of kidnappings and killings across the country.
According to the Federal Government of Nigeria these acts of terror is masterminded by “internationally designated terror organizations, ISIS-linked and al-Qaeda-linked franchises across the Sahel, Local violent extremist groups masquerading as bandits, Cross-border terrorist cells exploiting porous frontiers, and Ideological insurgents and criminal-terror hybrids operating in ungoverned spaces.”
The insecurity in Nigeria has not only diminished the stature of the country, but is currently threatening the very foundation of its existence.
Every state of the Federation has had its own bitter taste of the ugly reality of insecurity in Nigeria, with some perpetually under siege.
Available records show that about 50,252 people have been killed by terrorist attacks involving groups such as Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and Ansaru, since 2006.
These killings took place in the North-Eastern states, with Borno State recording the highest number of insurgency-related fatalities at 40,485.
Other affected states include Adamawa, Yobe, Plateau, Kano, Bauchi, and Kaduna. These deaths include civilians, security forces, volunteers, humanitarian workers, and terrorists.
According to reports, the peak year for violent deaths during the Boko Haram insurgency was 2014, with 22,873 violent deaths reported that year alone.
A report by the Amnesty International revealed that the Nigerian authorities’ persistent failure to address the security crisis in the country’s South-East region also created a free-for-all reign of impunity in which numerous state and non-state actors have committed serious human rights violations and killed at least 1,844 people between January 2021 and June 2023.
A separate report by Amnesty International revealed that about 10,217 people were killed in attacks by gunmen in Nigeria between 2023 and 2024, in Benue, Edo, Katsina, Kebbi, Plateau, Sokoto and Zamfara states.
The report said out of this number, Benue State accounts for the highest death toll of 6,896, while over 148 villages were sacked across seven local governments of the state.
Public data shows that a lot of people have been kidnapped by the terrorists across the country since 2002. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) survey reported over 2.2 million kidnapping cases across Nigeria during a recent one-year period, with the Northwest region experiencing the highest number.
Before the advent of Boko Haram in 2009, following the clashes with the Nigerian Police and the Nigerian Armed Forces, due to the killing of its leader, Mohammed Yusuf, there were instances of religious and ethnic violence, including major riots in 2001 and 2002, resulting in the death of many citizens.
Undoubtedly, Nigeria is a great country, blessed with both human and natural resources. Thus, it becomes a targeted Honey pot for all interests, including terrorists and their sponsors.
Currently, efforts are being made by the administration of President Bola Tinubu to douse the heightened public concern over Nigeria’s internal security crisis and the search for lasting solutions to terrorism, communal conflicts, and organized crime in the country.
With a population of over 230 million people, coupled with bad leadership and mismanagement of natural resources, a vast majority of the people are living below the poverty line, making the country a breeding ground for terrorism.
Both military and civilian interventions had been employed by the previous administrations of former President Goodluck Jonathan and late President Muhammadu Buhari, but none were potent enough to stop the madness.
The current administration of President Bola Tinubu has also spent trillions of naira to quell the killings and kidnappings in the country, but to no avail, with some stakeholders calling for foreign help to get the job done. Whether domestic or foreign, the reality is that Nigeria is under attack by terrorists and Needs Help!
Trump’s Planned Invasion Over Christian Genocide
Just recently, the United States President, Donald Trump, threatened to invade Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” over allegations of a “Christian genocide”.
He warned of possible military action in Nigeria if alleged killings of Christians were not addressed, and designated Nigeria as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’.
Corroborating him, the US Defence Secretary, Peter Hegseth, said “The Department of War is preparing for action. Either the Nigerian Government protects Christians, or we will kill the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.”
In a swift reaction, the Federal Government of Nigeria denied the allegation of genocide in the country, but expressed willingness to collaborate with the United States and other nations for the complete elimination of terrorism from Nigerian soil.
To show the seriousness of this commitment, President Bola Tinubu declared a nationwide security emergency and ordered additional recruitment into the Armed Forces.
The President has also ordered the withdrawal of police officers providing security for Very Important Persons (VIPs) in the country, noting that many parts of Nigeria, especially remote areas, have few policemen at the stations, thus making the task of protecting and defending the people difficult.
He further approved the recruitment of 20,000 additional police officers and upgrade of police training facilities nationwide.
Tinubu approved the constitution of the Nigerian side of the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group, led by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, to deepen collaboration with their US counterparts in tackling security challenges in the country.
The threat by President Trump further worsened the security challenges in the country, as about 38 members of Christ Apostolic Church, CAC Oke Isegun, Eruku, Kwara State, were kidnapped during church service on November 18, 2025.
Also, on November 21, 2025, gunmen abducted 315 girls from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State. The victims included 303 students and 12 teachers. However, 50 students later escaped and returned to their families.
While concerted efforts are being made to rescue the victims, experts opined that the security challenges in the country demand a robust and adaptive internal security architecture.
EXPERTS OFFER SOLUTIONS
Speaking recently, at the 7th Annual Public Lecture of the Just Friends Club of Nigeria (JFCN), Former Chief of Army Staff (CAS) and ex-Minister of Interior, Lt. General Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau (Rtd), said the insecurity in Nigeria is driven by the multidimensional poverty in the country.
Dambazau listed some of the key drivers of insecurity in Nigeria to include poverty, unemployment, hunger, disease, and illiteracy.
Others are: poor governance, inadequate welfare for security personnel, insufficient coordination among security agencies and underdeveloped criminal justice institutions.
He underscored the need for more focus on human security, which addresses threats such as poverty, illiteracy, disease, unemployment, corruption, and environmental degradation.
Issues, he said, could not be resolved by military force alone but by effective governance and social investment. Noting that security must be approached from a comprehensive and holistic perspective.
He submitted that despite increased budgetary allocations and the deployment of military resources across all geopolitical zones since 1999, the anticipated improvements in security have remained elusive.
Corroborating him, Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Gbolahan Adekunle (Rtd), said an all-nation approach should be adopted for national security.
He submitted that the frequent retirement of young, trained officers should also be adequately addressed, as some could still be useful to the country in several capacities.
He lamented that over N100 million is spent to train just one soldier, and after six years, he is retired without using the knowledge gained adequately for the country.
AVM Adekunle urged the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to do more to sensitise the public on the role to play in advancing national security.
He also said the nation’s youth should be properly guided and engaged to avoid drugs, which are fueling insecurity in the country.
While the recent call by the United States to help the Christians in the country because of the perceived genocide against them is commendable, the life of every Nigerian is important.
As the current administration seeks permanent solution to the rising insecurity in the country, every intervention, be it kinetic or human security approach, must be for the protection of all Nigerians, regardless of political, social or religious affiliations.
