When there is crisis and chaos in the jungle and the lion, the king of the forest, is under distress, even the snail, in its slow motion, proclaims itself the king of horned animals.
So it is with Nigeria’s current crisis of insecurity. Every Dick, Tom, and Harry has suddenly become a security expert, diagnosing terrorism as though it were a mere ailment cured by sound bites.
Those who have long sharpened their knives, waiting to take potshots at the president, are now out with their blades—poking half-baked truths, innuendos, and insinuations. Suddenly, President Tinubu has supposedly made a clandestine pact with terrorists to destabilize his own government! Haba. Some claim he is so obsessed with 2027 that he has chosen to appease the very insurgents who want to derail his ambition.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Terrorism thrives on chaos. Its tactics, stealthy, asymmetric, opportunistic, are designed to shock and paralyze society. From bombings in schools and churches to mass kidnappings, terrorists choose soft targets because no government on earth can protect every space, every time. Even the mightiest military in the world, the United States, could not defeat Al-Qaeda or the Taliban after two decades of bleeding money, blood, and tears.
The Old Wounds We Ignored
Nigeria’s battle with religious extremism and violent sectarianism did not begin today. The Maitatsine sect, led by Muhammad Marwa until his death in 1980, waged an ideological war that left thousands dead—including soldiers and policemen.
Yet, despite decades of conflict, we still treat terrorism and banditry as a purely military problem. We cannot bomb an idea out of existence.
Until we confront the underlying causes, the social, economic, and moral rot that breeds extremism, we will remain trapped in a vicious cycle. Millions of young Nigerians, especially in the North, grow up unparented, uneducated, and unemployed, condemned to a Hobbesian existence of hopelessness. When life offers nothing to live for, dying for a “heavenly cause” becomes a seductive option.
A government that abandons its most vulnerable citizens is waging a losing war against preachers of false paradise.
The Carrot and the Stick
Military power alone cannot deliver peace. Nigeria needs a multi-pronged strategy, combining the stick of firm justice with the carrot of opportunity, education, and reform.
We must stop the endless production line of unparented street urchins and almajirai. Education and reorientation must replace indoctrination and idleness. We have ignored the warning signs for too long: a youth population bulge of millions of out-of-school children was a ticking time bomb. That bomb has now exploded.
It now falls on President Tinubu to design both short- and long-term strategies to confront this monster. But he cannot do it alone.
State governors, especially in the North, must take responsibility. Too many have abandoned their states, treating Abuja as home while insecurity festers under their watch. They must be forced back to confront the chaos they helped create. Citizens must also hold them accountable, not just the man in Aso Rock.
The Role of Citizens
Security is everyone’s business. These terrorists do not always live in forests, they often live among us. Some of our own community members serve as informants, kingpins, or collaborators in kidnapping rings.
We must strengthen community–police cooperation and reward informants who provide actionable intelligence. The president’s new policy of prioritizing public safety over VIP protection is a welcome step.
At the same time, sponsors of terrorism must face the harshest punishment. The law must be unambiguous: those who bankroll or enable terror must pay the ultimate price. Politicians who weaponize violence for electoral gain must be exposed and punished.
Equally dangerous is the spread of fake news. Each time we circulate unverified stories of attacks or kidnappings, we aid the terrorists’ cause. Panic is their oxygen. Spreading false alarms wastes precious security resources and deepens public fear.
We must be disciplined. If you see something, say something, to the right authorities. President Tinubu is not omnipresent; he cannot see every threat. But collectively, we can build a web of vigilance strong enough to protect our communities.
A Final Word
And to those calling for foreign intervention, especially those invoking the name of Donald Trump, be warned: no country “saved” by U.S. invasion has emerged better. Vietnam, Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, all lie in ruins. Nigeria’s salvation will not come from outside. We must save ourselves.
The war against terrorism is not just a fight of guns and bullets, it is a fight for the soul of the nation.
Adewale Alonge, PhD, Founder & President, Africa Diaspora Partnership for Empowerment and Development. www.adped.org, writes in from Dadeland, Miami, Florida, USA.
