Don’t sacrifice security for politics

By : Alabi Williams

Date: 8 December 2025 4:32am WAT

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General Christopher G. Musa.

General Christopher G. Musa.

The exit of former Jigawa State Governor, Abubakar Badaru, from the Defence Ministry received country-wide applause, as the development indicated an opportunity for a reset. President Bola Tinubu had promised to remain committed to his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari’s policies and governance style, which pampered insecurity for eight years.

In the course of Tinubu’s two and a half years, we didn’t see any difference in the attitude and readiness to combat terrorism. In terms of causalities and spread, the Tinubu government was set to undo Buhari’s appalling record, until President Trump delivered that wake-up call.

Nothing indicated that the two Defence ministers, Badaru and former Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, were prepared for the task. Under their stewardship, government got close to losing total control of the Northwest, where the two were expected to demonstrate some familiarity and zeal, because it is their zone.

However, until last month, up to 20 Local Government Areas in Katsina State were helpless enough to sign “peace deals” with terrorists, so they could purchase some peace. Such peace deals exert taxes and loyalty from communities, indicating that the elected governments have failed the people. It remains largely so in Kebbi and Zamfara, states where straying outside state capitals is a risk.

When President Tinubu appointed Badaru and Matawalle, concerns were expressed over the ministerial recruitment process, because the two had no connection with handling terrorism, apart from presiding over states that were insecure. Jigawa was fair, but Zamfara, under Matawalle, became a playground for insurgents and illegal miners. In 2021, President Buhari had to impose a no-fly zone order and ban on mining activities in the state.

It wasn’t clear why Badaru and Matawalle were so tasked beyond their capacities, apart from the urge to reward them for their roles in the 2023 elections. Tinubu polled his largest chunk of votes (2,652,824) in the Northwest, beating former vice president Atiku Abubakar, to a second place. Had former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, not fallen out of favour after their party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) formed government, he too would have earned a ranking award in the current cabinet.

Now that Badaru is gone, it is commendable that President Tinubu has replaced him with the former Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. General Christopher Musa (Retd). On this particular choice, Tinubu did not play politics with insecurity, as the selection garnered acclaim from notable Nigerians, across board.

There are suggestions that pressure is on government to find another job for Matawalle, as well. Apart from his issue ($2m bribe allegation) with the former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, which Buhari swept under the carpet and this government too, the well reported spat between Matawalle and Governor Dauda Lawal, over the origin and sponsorship of insecurity in Zamfara, are weighty enough to have the junior minister reassigned, if not prosecuted. This might be an opportunity for the Tinubu administration to address those matters which are crucial to insecurity in the Northwest.

Badaru’s disengagement was framed as motivated by health issues. Just the same way former Kano State Governor, Abdulahi Umar Ganduje, was eased out as the APC’s national chairman on health grounds. Ganduje has since recovered, and is strong enough to play opposition politics in Kano, when he is not supervising aviation matters at FAAN, where he is the Board chair. Hopefully, Badaru, upon quick recovery, will get another national assignment to get him busy and politically relevant towards 2027. That’s how they roll. U.S. Congress not impressed yet

Since the intervention of President Trump and the U.S. Congress in insecurity in the country, the Tinubu government has stepped up to engage the situation, including sending a high-powered delegation to the United States. But it doesn’t look like Trump and his allies are impressed yet. There is still denial and pussy footing in government. Authorities’ response to the abduction of students at St. Mary’s Catholic (Private) Secondary School, Papiri, Agwara Local Government Council of Niger State, on November 21, 2025, is an example of how not to pamper and manipulate insecurity.

First, the Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Umar Bago, unkindly tried to discount the number of students and staff that were abducted, claiming the reported 315 figure was exaggerated. The BBC reported that he told the local media that it was “far, far below” what was generally reported. He went on to blame the owners of the school for opening after schools had been ordered closed in the troubled location four years ago.

He said: “The schools in the area have been closed for four years now. I was surprised to learn the school is still open.” Really? If the State Government ordered schools closed for four years along that axis, are the communities in that axis also shut down? What security arrangements were in place to secure life and property? What alternatives are available to students whose schools were forced to shut down for four long years? Were the parents, students and staff compelled to take their destinies in their hands due to the absence of their elected authorities?

More heartless is the attempt by the authorities to spin the story of how 50 of St. Mary’s students found their way back home. Government proudly announced it had safely retrieved 50 of the abductees from their captors and reunited them with their families. The BBC reported that 50 children managed to avoid being taken away and were reunited with their families.

While the state authorities attempted to report the incident as a “scare”, the police said they were only aware of a few children escaping on the night of the abduction. The point is that the data of that incident remains unclear and Nigerians are waiting for disclosures of whereabouts of the remaining students who were abducted on November 21.

Nigeria is still designated as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), by the United States, such that the government can no longer conceal or deny the multiple tragedies the state condones, for lack of capacity or due to desperation to win 2027 elections.

Last week, U.S. lawmakers continued to put Nigeria under scrutiny. They held a congressional roundtable along with religious freedom and foreign relations experts, where they briefed on escalating violence and “targeted persecution” of Christians in Nigeria. Congressman Chris Smith observed that the “Nigerian government has a fundamental constitutional obligation to protect its citizens; however, the perpetrators of this persecution operate with complete impunity.”

The understanding among associates of President Trump is that the Nigerian government is not doing enough to pause attacks, disarm the terrorists, return displaced people to their ancestral homelands and prosecute arrested terrorists. They think the Tinubu government is buying time, which must not be allowed. There are too many deaths already, they claimed.

Pressure groups are following up with rallies, demanding an end to what they say has become intractable security crisis in the country. The Save Nigeria Group USA, matched in the Capitol, last week, and demanded support for their compatriots back home, who are grappling with insecurity.

Their leader, Stephen Osemwegie said: “We gather today on this sacred ground, not because of the buildings behind us, but because of the truth we are speaking, the justice we are demanding, and the lives we refuse to forget…millions of Christians across Nigeria are living in terror. In the Plateau, Benue, Kaduna, Taraba, Southern Kaduna, Borno and the Southeast- the attacks are relentless…”

The U.S. State Department, last week, announced visa restrictions for persons who knowingly support, carry out or sponsor religious violations against Christians in Nigeria. The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, made the announcement. According to him, President Trump will not ignore atrocities targeted at Christians in Nigeria or elsewhere. 2027 as the major distraction for President Tinubu

The pressure of 2027 is a major distractionfor this government. It has to choose between a frontal attack on insecurity or be contented with the tepid blow it announced in the recent nation-wide security emergency. There was no enthusiasm in that declaration. Nothing has changed apart from the appointment of a new Defence Minister.

Now, Tinubu is leaving no stone unturned in the bid to capture the approximately 9,000 political wards in the country. When this government championed the fight for local government autonomy, many failed to read the political calculation.

Curiously, the Federal Government has appointed Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, as the Renewed Hope Ambassador, ahead of the launch of the Federal Government’s Ward Development Programme. Is the Federal Government now in charge of wards’ development?

Uzodimma, according to government, will double as the Director-General for Party Outreach, Engagement and Mobilisation. He will be responsible, together with the governors and leaders of APC, for evangelising programmes of government. They are to “promote and disseminate the party’s achievements and milestones since 2023, thereby reinforcing the message of Renewed Hope nationwide.”

Just as citizens were still processing the implications of Uzodimma’s appointment as Renewed Hope ambassador, the APC, last week, distributed branded campaign vehicles to state coordinators, to flag-off the 2027 campaigns. The vehicles were a set of luxury models, including Toyota Land Cruisers, Hilux trucks and a Hummer bus. No explanations on the funding.

When citizens complained why the Presidency was distributing campaign vehicles at a time the country was under severe security challenges, government spinners claimed the exercise was a private initiative. It had nothing to do with government.

Lest we forget, this government is still struggling with the capital component of the 2025 budget. It is owing contractors, but they have monies to procure campaign vehicles. They’re not even charitable enough to engage local auto companies to keep their factories busy. They’re busy exporting capitaland labour.

Finally, Rivers’ lawmakers join APC As expected, 16 lawmakers of the Rivers State House of Assembly have formally joined the APC. After all their rigmarole and dragging the Supreme Court into the arena of filthy politics, Abuja has confirmed the reason it made Rivers ungovernable and why it troubled Siminalayi Fubara. They have shredded PDP. But let this government not sacrifice the security of the country for the politics of 2027.

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