461
By Tracy Moses
A retired Nigerian Air Force officer has expressed disillusionment with the recent wave of security meetings held across Nigeria, dismissing them as “cosmetic exercises” that seldom lead to tangible results.
Recall that on Thursday, April 10, 2025, Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum convened a critical discussion with Nigeria’s top military leadership in Abuja. The gathering included the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede; the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla; and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar. The main focus was a renewed push for coordinated action against insurgents.
Sources from the meeting revealed that discussions centred on enhancing military operations in the Northeast, improving intelligence sharing, and addressing the recent surge in attacks by terror groups. Governor Zulum had earlier raised concerns during an expanded security meeting in Maiduguri on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, regarding the increasing attacks by terrorists on both civilian and military facilities. He called for decisive action to prevent the situation from spiralling out of control.
Governor Zulum was accompanied by Borno State’s senators—Mohammed Ali Ndume (Borno South), Mohammed Tahir Monguno (Borno North), and Barrister Kaka Shehu Lawan (Borno Central)—as well as key figures from the House of Representatives and the state’s Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Professor Usman Tar.
However, a retired officer who spoke exclusively with Pointblanknews correspondent expressed scepticism about the effectiveness of such meetings. The officer, who retired two years ago and requested anonymity, noted that Nigerians have grown weary of frequent high-level security dialogues that often fail to produce real outcomes.
“These meetings have become routine. Call them security summits, national dialogues, or inter-agency forums—whatever you want. But the average Nigerian knows that nothing substantial ever comes out of them,” he said. “If any positive change was going to result from these meetings, it would have happened by now. We’ve been having these discussions for years, yet insecurity continues to worsen.”
“For instance, in August 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari convened a National Security Council meeting with service chiefs to discuss rising banditry and terrorism. Another high-level meeting took place in June 2021 following increasing attacks in the North West and mass abductions of schoolchildren. Similar gatherings have occurred in subsequent years, 2022 and 2023, often revisiting the same talking points: inter-agency collaboration, intelligence sharing, and improving security personnel welfare. Despite these frequent meetings, Nigeria continues to grapple with escalating violence, insurgency in the Northeast, banditry and kidnappings in the Northwest and North Central, separatist unrest in the Southeast, and communal clashes across the country. The toll on lives and livelihoods remains devastating.”
“With all these meetings without solutions, I can boldly say they have become annual rituals. What we need is action, not more talk,” he concluded.
Human rights advocate and Executive Director of Global Rights, Abiodun Baiyewu, also weighed in on the ongoing security challenges. She said that Nigeria’s security problems are multi-faceted and region-specific. In the Northeast, Boko Haram and ISWAP continue to displace millions, while banditry and mass abductions persist in the Northwest and North-Central. The Southeast is struggling with separatist agitations, and other regions contend with communal violence and urban crime.
According to her, “Despite the frequent summits and high-level meetings, there has been no cohesive or sustained approach to these challenges. Citizens have endured insurgency, kidnappings, mass violence, and gender-based crimes for years. In the past five years alone, at least 27,000 people have been killed, and over 20,000 abducted. Yet billions of Naira have been allocated to ‘security’ with little visible improvement.”
Baiyewu also criticized Nigeria’s security architecture as largely reactive rather than preventive. “There is a lack of inclusivity, transparency, and measurable outcomes. Citizens are left in the dark. What Nigerians want is not more rhetoric but real, accountable, and strategic action.”
She argued that security summits often fail due to poor follow-up and lack of accountability. “What is needed is a clear National Security Action Plan—one with defined goals, timelines, responsible institutions, and community participation.”
Baiyewu further called for urgent reforms, including improved intelligence gathering, enhanced early warning systems, and the adoption of modern technology. “We must also address human rights abuses and ensure that military operations protect, rather than harm, the communities they are meant to defend.”
A legal practitioner Mr. Terfa Lord Jirgba, based in Makurdi, Benue State, also speaking to Pointblank News on the issue, stressed that the primary responsibility of any government is to protect the lives and property of its citizens, a duty shared by the president and governors, who are the chief security officers of their states.
“Insecurity has persisted for far too long in Nigeria. While it’s true that security challenges exist globally, what matters most is the approach. Holding repeated summits without actionable, region-specific policies makes these gatherings nothing but political jamborees.”
Jirgba argued against one-size-fits-all solutions to Nigeria’s security challenges, pointing out that what works in the North may not work in the South. He noted that the insurgency in the Northeast is a unique crisis that requires deeper investigation into the funding and logistics of groups like Boko Haram. “Insurgency is expensive, and someone is bankrolling it,” he added.
Jirgba advocated for the declaration of a state of emergency in the most affected areas, which would enable the military to take full control and neutralize all armed non-state actors.
While acknowledging Governor Zulum’s efforts, including the establishment of local security outfits and collaboration with military and police forces, he insisted that more needs to be done.
“This is not a conventional war. It requires intelligence-driven operations, community engagement, and well-crafted policies,” he emphasized.
“I come from Taraku, Mbape specifically which has suffered repeated attacks. If the government involves local communities directly, they can support the military with critical intelligence. Locals know the terrain and can act as force multipliers.”
He also referenced a recent incident in his local government area, where a Fulani herder allegedly fired a gun after being accused of destroying a resident’s cassava farm. The situation was resolved peacefully with the intervention of Hon. Dickson Tarkighir, a member of the House of Representatives representing Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency. He there stressed the importance of adhering to Benue’s anti-open grazing law.
“The law must be applied equally. If political leaders and traditional rulers allow their cattle to roam freely, it sets a dangerous precedent. Proper ranching practices must be enforced to prevent further conflict.”