₦airaland Forum

INSECURITY IN NIGERIA: A NATION UNDER SIEGE, A PEOPLE IN DENIAL
Nigeria is bleeding. From the forests of the North-West to the valleys of the Middle Belt, from the troubled communities of the North-East to criminal hideouts scattered across the South, the cries of victims have become a painful soundtrack of national life. Every fresh attack provokes outrage. Every tragedy dominates public discourse. Every casualty count triggers another round of accusations, political grandstanding, ethnic blame games, and emotional outbursts.
Yet amid the noise, one uncomfortable truth continues to stare us in the face: we are not having an honest conversation about insecurity in Nigeria.
The nation is under siege, but the enemy is not only the terrorist, the bandit, the kidnapper, or the armed criminal. The enemy is also our refusal to confront reality. It is our addiction to politics over patriotism. It is our preference for outrage over solutions. It is our determination to weaponize tragedy rather than defeat it.
Nigeria is suffering from insecurity, but Nigeria is also suffering from denial.
The first truth that must be established is that insecurity did not begin today. It did not begin under one government. It did not begin under one political party. It did not begin under one president.
Insecurity is as old as human civilization itself. There is no nation on earth that has completely escaped it. The strongest countries in the world continue to battle terrorism, organized crime, mass shootings, insurgency, cybercrime, and other forms of violence. The difference between nations is not the absence of insecurity but the effectiveness of their responses.
Nigeria's security challenges have evolved over decades. Long before the return to democratic rule in 1999, the country had experienced communal conflicts, armed robbery, militancy, religious crises, political violence, and ethnic clashes. Since 1999, successive administrations have confronted different manifestations of insecurity.
One administration battled militancy in the Niger Delta. Another confronted the rise of Boko Haram. Others have grappled with banditry, kidnapping, farmer-herder conflicts, separatist violence, cult-related killings, and transnational criminal networks.
The challenge has persisted because the roots are deep. Poverty, illiteracy, porous borders, weak institutions, corruption, arms proliferation, political manipulation, unemployment, and poor intelligence structures have all contributed to the crisis.
To suggest that insecurity suddenly emerged under one particular administration is intellectually dishonest.
This does not mean governments should not be criticized. Far from it. Governments exist to provide security, and every administration must be held accountable for failures. But accountability must not be confused with historical amnesia.
Every government since 1999 has fought insecurity in one form or another. Some have recorded notable successes. Some have made costly mistakes. Some have achieved temporary gains that later disappeared. Yet it is almost impossible to believe that any leader deliberately desires insecurity to flourish under his watch.
No president benefits from a country in flames.
No governor enjoys watching communities destroyed.
No serious government wakes up and decides that insecurity should thrive.
Leaders may adopt wrong strategies. They may be slow. They may be ineffective. They may fail in execution. But to assume that every security setback is evidence of deliberate sabotage by government is a dangerous oversimplification.
What is even more troubling is the obvious and recurring relationship between insecurity and politics in Nigeria.
Every election cycle appears to bring a fresh escalation of security concerns. As political temperatures rise, insecurity suddenly becomes the dominant campaign issue. Incidents that deserve sober national reflection become political ammunition.
Political actors exploit every tragedy. They convert the blood of victims into campaign materials. They weaponize the tears of widows. They transform national pain into electoral strategy.
This pattern has become disturbingly familiar.
The insecurity challenge significantly shaped the political climate that preceded the 2015 presidential election. The issue became one of the most powerful arguments against the administration of the time. Years later, the succeeding administration would itself become the target of similar attacks over insecurity. Today, the same pattern is repeating itself against the current government.
The cycle never changes.
The opposition blames the government.
The government blames inherited problems.
The citizens become emotionally divided.
The criminals continue their operations.
The nation remains trapped.
What is perhaps most disappointing is that many political actors appear more interested in exploiting insecurity than solving it.
Criticism is necessary in a democracy. Opposition parties have a constitutional duty to challenge the government. Citizens have a moral responsibility to demand results. Civil society must continue to raise concerns.
But criticism without solutions is little more than political theatre.
Nigeria has become a country where everyone can describe the problem but very few are willing to discuss practical solutions.
Press conferences are held.
Statements are issued.
Television appearances are made.
Social media campaigns are launched.
Yet detailed, actionable, and realistic alternatives are often absent.
The result is a national conversation dominated by anger but impoverished of ideas.
Even more troubling is the attitude of many citizens.
A strange and unhealthy culture has emerged in which bad news generates excitement while good news attracts suspicion.
When terrorists attack, social media erupts.
When kidnappers strike, engagement explodes.
When criminals kill innocent citizens, public attention is guaranteed.
But when security forces rescue victims, neutralize criminal elements, dismantle camps, recover weapons, or record operational successes, the reaction is often remarkably different.
Many immediately dismiss such reports as propaganda.
Others claim they are politically motivated.
Some insist they are staged.
The enthusiasm that accompanies bad news suddenly disappears.
This is not the behaviour of a society determined to defeat insecurity.
A nation that loses the ability to celebrate progress risks losing the motivation required to achieve victory.
Supporting the success of security agencies does not mean supporting any particular government. It means supporting Nigeria.
One of the most destructive mistakes Nigerians have made is the tendency to ethnicize insecurity.
Far too many people have convinced themselves that insecurity is the exclusive product of one tribe, one religion, or one region.
This dangerous mindset has done enormous damage.
Criminality has no tribe.
Kidnapping has no religion.
Terrorism has no ethnicity.
Banditry recognizes no cultural boundary.
When crime is reduced to ethnic stereotypes, genuine criminals find protection behind collective identities. Communities become reluctant to expose offenders who share their ethnic or religious background. Criminal networks exploit these divisions. Intelligence gathering suffers. National unity weakens.
The result is that criminals benefit while innocent citizens suffer.
The evidence from arrests and prosecutions repeatedly demonstrates that criminal elements emerge from diverse backgrounds. Yet many Nigerians remain imprisoned by prejudice.
A nation cannot win a war against crime while protecting criminals because they belong to a preferred ethnic, religious, or political group.
Security is everyone's responsibility.
This statement has become so common that many no longer appreciate its significance.
The truth is that criminals do not operate in isolation.
They buy food from people.
They purchase fuel from people.
They receive information from people.
They hide among people.
They maintain business relationships with people.
They recruit from communities.
They exploit local networks.
In many cases, somebody knows something.
Yet silence prevails.
Some remain silent out of fear.
Others remain silent for financial gain.
Some remain silent because of ethnic loyalty.
Others remain silent because they distrust government.
Whatever the reason, the outcome remains the same: the criminals continue to operate.
No security architecture can succeed when citizens refuse to cooperate.
No intelligence system can function effectively when communities conceal vital information.
No military operation can permanently defeat criminality without local support.
This is a difficult truth, but it must be said.
Many Nigerians blame government for every attack while refusing to acknowledge society's own contribution to the problem.
The reality is that insecurity is both a government challenge and a societal challenge.
Neither side can succeed without the other.
Another important reality must also be acknowledged.
No nation has completely solved insecurity.
Not even the world's most powerful countries.
The United States continues to battle terrorism, violent crime, and mass shootings.
European nations continue to confront extremist threats.
Several Asian countries continue to fight insurgencies and organized crime.
The lesson is clear.
The objective is not the unrealistic elimination of every security threat.
The objective is effective management, containment, prevention, rapid response, and continuous improvement.
Perfection may be impossible.
Progress is not.
Nigeria must therefore abandon emotional responses and embrace pragmatic solutions.
First, terrorism and banditry must never be rewarded. Negotiations that strengthen criminal groups should be approached with extreme caution. Policies that create the impression that violence is a profitable enterprise must be avoided.
Second, intelligence gathering must become the centrepiece of security strategy. Modern security victories are won with information before they are won with weapons.
Third, local communities must be integrated into security structures through responsible and accountable community policing initiatives.
Fourth, border security must be dramatically improved. The uncontrolled movement of weapons and criminal elements across borders remains a serious threat.
Fifth, technology must be deployed aggressively. Surveillance systems, biometric databases, drones, digital intelligence tools, and modern communication systems are no longer optional.
Sixth, the justice system must become faster and more effective. Arresting criminals means little if prosecution and punishment remain weak.
Seventh, political leaders across party lines must agree that insecurity should never be exploited for electoral advantage. National security should be a shared national priority rather than a partisan weapon.
Eighth, citizens must become active participants in security management. Information sharing, vigilance, community cooperation, and civic responsibility must become part of our culture.
Ninth, government must continue investing in education, job creation, and economic opportunities. Security operations are necessary, but long-term stability requires addressing the social conditions that criminals exploit.
Finally, Nigeria must rebuild patriotism.
A nation cannot survive when its citizens constantly speak of it with hatred.
Constructive criticism is necessary.
Accountability is necessary.
Demanding results is necessary.
But relentless cynicism serves nobody except those who seek to destroy the country.
The terrorists want Nigerians to lose hope.
The bandits want Nigerians to believe the state is powerless.
The criminals want Nigerians to see their country as irredeemable.
We must not grant them that victory.
Nigeria stands at a critical moment in its history.
The path forward requires courage from government, responsibility from citizens, maturity from politicians, professionalism from security agencies, and patriotism from all.
The time has come to stop treating insecurity as a political football.
The time has come to stop reducing complex challenges to tribal slogans.
The time has come to stop celebrating failure and doubting success.
The time has come to recognize that the survival of Nigeria is a collective responsibility.
History will not judge us by how loudly we complained.
History will judge us by whether we found the courage to confront reality, reject division, support genuine solutions, and unite against those determined to destroy our nation.
Nigeria is under siege.
But Nigeria is not defeated.
The battle can still be won.
The question is whether we are prepared to fight it together.
Mohammed Olayinka Olufemi, I believe in Nigeria

Is it wrong to demand for answers?
I just want to know why the University of Abuja and JAMB said I am not good enough to be admitted to study Medicine and Surgery in the school.
My name is Olayinka Greatness Eniola. I completed my secondary education in 2024. I sat for all the O’ Level examinations and UTME examination in the same year.
My parent had told me all I needed to do was to work hard and score high in the examination. That we would not need to beg anyone for admission once I can score very high. My parent went ahead to promise me a sum of two hundred thousand naira if I could score a minimum of 300 marks in the UTME exam.
I believed them, that all I need to get admission to read Medicine and Surgery so I can later join the Army to fulfill my dream of becoming a military doctor was to work harder.
I did and I scored exactly 300 in my UTME exam and did well also in my WAEC and NECO, having 2As, 2Bs and a C in the five subjects needed for my course.
Everyone told me, I should be getting ready; that it was a matter of time when the admission list would be rolling out and my name would be on it. I was ready. Today, admission had ended, and I am still at home. My friends and classmates in secondary school and the street who scored far less than I did in both the UTME and the POST UTME in the same university had being given admission to study the same course while my parent are busy consoling me every day to accept what has happened.
When the university announced that it had ended admission into my course, some people advised I changed to Veterinary medicine, that I would be able to transfer into Medicine and Surgery after my 100 level which my parent did, still no admission.
I had written to the VC University of Abuja demanding answers. I just want to know the criteria that exempted me from being admitted. I got no response. Is that too much to ask?
How can I just understand that my country only claim to value hard work by mouth? How do I come to term to the reality that merit and hard work is nothing in my country?
My father has gone to enroll me to start preparing for another UTME. He has talked me into dropping Biology for Mathematics and go for Engineering; he said he can’t go through the trauma again.
The VC University of Abuja and all those in charge of admission in the school have altered my destiny.
My father told me, we should accept that the country has failed us, but we cannot afford to fail ourselves. i am writing another exam, bit I am not going to be a happy person until I got answer as to why I am still at home searching for admission.
Nigerians please help me ask until University of Abuja and JAMB talk to me. Please if you know the best way I can get the answer I need, please contact me on yinkafemi11@yahoo.com.
Thank you all

Femzab College of Basic Sciences requires the service of a female secretary. The ideal candidate must:
1. Be a female
2. Speak English and Hausa fluently
3. Be persuasive
4. Live in Gwagwalada
Salary is negotiable
Interested candidates should call 08105460383 or send an application to the whatssap number 07030351427

Femzab College of Basic Sciences requires the service of a female secretary. The ideal candidate must:
1. Be a female
2. Speak English and Hausa fluently
3. Be persuasive
4. Live in Gwagwalada
Salary is negotiable
Interested candidates should call 08105460383 or send an application to the whatssap number 07030351427

Hello. Please whatever your utme result, you must not stay at home waiting for another jamb exam again. Take the IJMB/JUPEB route into 200 level direct entry admission. With that, you will end up not missing any year. Call Femzab College of Basics Studies on 08105460383. Visit www.femzab.com.ng

Hello, live around gwagwalada Abuja. Join Femzab College of Basic Science for your preparation for utme 2021 examinations.
We offer you the best chance at been prepared effectively for the exams. Call us on 08105460383, 07030351427,

I don't understand Nigerians. You are in your house, have never been to any of the isolation centers, have not spoken to anyone who had been there, but you boldly tell everyone they are torture center (no food and no drugs).
Those who got well came out praising the government and the health workers, but your patriotic contribution at this critical time is to say and write fabricated, destructive and divisive lies and propaganda

Nigerians are one unpredictable people. when the federal government was proscribing the Shiite a terrorist group, we came hard on Buhari. Now, that the USA is suspecting Nigeria may not be safe for it's citizens because of the same Shiite, we are still blaming Buhari.
When do we begin to think and respond rationally to issues without recurse to our many biases

07030351427

Four years ago, I attended a wonderful marriage at ngwo, enugu. They are blessed with two kids now and enjoying their union. The guy family said no because the girl is an OSU (an outcast) and not a single member of the family attended the wedding. Today, the parent have accepted their daughter in law.
Bros it is your decision, let her go if she is not worth fighting for.
Infact for the fact that you are already thinking of the way to break up with her show that you don't deserve her love. Tell her and let her go.
After you will claim you are a Christian yet you are ruled by barbaric tradition.
How dare someone tell me I cannot marry who I want. They should be ready to lose me as a son.
Create history. Become a rally point for the change that must happen.

yinkafemi11@yahoo.com

please someone should send the past questions to yinkafemi11@yahoo.com . thanks

a + success tutorial AND ADULT EDUCATION, GWAGWALADA, abuja . POST UME, 2018 WASSCE, NECO, NABTEB AND UTME CLASSES. Reading, Writing, Spelling & Speaking classes Our School Address: WEEKDAY SCHOOL: Monday to Saturday
Venue: LEA Pry.School Old Kutunku Gwagwalada
School fees: - Affordable Call/ WhatsApp: 07030351427
(Modify ) (Quote ) (Report) (Share )

A+ SUCCESS TUTORIAL AND ADULT EDUCATION, GWAGWALADA, ABUJA . POST UME, 2018 WASSCE, NECO, NABTEB AND UTME CLASSES. Reading, Writing, Spelling & Speaking classes Our School Address: WEEKDAY SCHOOL: Monday to Saturday
Venue: LEA Pry.School Old Kutunku Gwagwalada

School fees: - Affordable Call/ WhatsApp: 07030351427

A very competent English Literature teacher is needed at an extra moral center at Old Kutunku Gwagwalada Abuja. call 07030351427

A very competent English Literature teacher is needed at an extra moral center at Old Kutunku Gwagwalada Abuja. call 07030351427

A very competent English Literature teacher is needed at an extra moral center at Old Kutunku Gwagwalada Abuja. call 07030351427

a young and vibrant graduate of english language urgently needed to teach english language and english literature at a tutorial center ( summer holiday lesson and beyond ) in gwagwalada. Must reside at gwagwalada and be available to work 9am to 1pm Monday to Friday . call 07030351427
(

a young and vibrant graduate of english language urgently needed to teach english language and english literature at a tutorial center ( summer holiday lesson and beyond ) in gwagwalada. Must reside at gwagwalada and be available to work 9am to 1pm Monday to Friday . call 07030351427

a young and vibrant graduate of english language urgently needed to teach english language and english literature at a tutorial center ( summer holiday lesson and beyond ) in gwagwalada. Must reside at gwagwalada and be available to work 9am to 1pm Monday to Friday . call 07030351427

A young and very good English and Literature teacher urgently needed in an extra moral centre at gwagwalada Abuja. Also a Government and Economics Teacher. call 07030351427

young and really good English and literature teacher , Government and Economic teacher and also introductory technology and computer teacher needed at A+ Success Tutorials at Gwagwalada Abuja, for Sumner holiday classes. contact Engr Femi on 07030351427

young and really good English and literature teacher , Government and Economic teacher and also introductory technology and computer teacher needed at A+ Success Tutorials at Gwagwalada Abuja, for Sumner holiday classes. contact Engr Femi on 07030351427

young and really good English and literature teacher , Government and Economic teacher and also introductory technology and computer teacher needed at A+ Success Tutorials at Gwagwalada Abuja, for Sumner holiday classes. contact Engr Femi on 07030351427