The Call for a State of Emergency in Nigeria
Some retired senior military officers have supported the call by a former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor (retd.), for the declaration of a state of emergency to effectively address the Boko Haram insurgency. In his new book, Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum, Irabor argued that the absence of political will had hindered Nigeria’s response to the insurgency, stressing that an emergency proclamation backed by the National Assembly would mobilize all elements of national power towards ending the war.
Irabor, who served as the CDS under the Buhari administration, wrote, “The government had not yet mustered the political will and instruments to declare a war against Boko Haram. With an emergency proclamation, backed by the National Assembly, there will be greater and more focused attention by the government to galvanise all the elements of national power towards the war.” He emphasized that strategy deals with the aggregate of the elements of national power, which include economic, political, social, diplomatic, information, and military aspects.
Despite being degraded by the military following the killing of many of its top commanders and the arrest of hundreds of its foot soldiers, Boko Haram’s attacks in the North have intensified recently, causing widespread destruction and displacement. Last week, the group seized the border town of Kirawa in Borno State, forcing thousands to flee to neighbouring Cameroon. The attack led to the destruction of a military barracks, dozens of homes, and the palace of the district head. Over 5,000 people reportedly fled to Cameroon due to the recent attacks.
Boko Haram fighters also stormed an army base in Borno State, killing four soldiers and setting military equipment on fire. A coordinated attack on security formations in Banki was repelled by joint security forces, with one police constable sustaining minor injuries. Governor Babagana Zulum has called for increased military presence in border communities, citing the need for adequate security.
More than 2.2 million people remain internally displaced in Nigeria. The group’s ability to launch coordinated attacks has stretched security forces thin. The humanitarian impact of the attacks continues to worsen, with many communities left without access to necessities.
Commenting on Irabor’s proposal, Brigadier General Peter Aro (retd.) described it as apt and borne out of deep operational and strategic experience. He said a properly declared and legislatively backed state of emergency would give coherence and urgency to the fight against insurgency. Aro noted, “General Lucky Irabor’s position is both apt and deeply informed by experience. Having served at the operational, strategic, and geo-strategic levels, he speaks with the authority of someone who truly knows his terrain.”
Also supporting Irabor’s position, retired Major General Dayo Olukoju said while a state of emergency was necessary, it should be complemented by a broader, multilateral approach that addresses the root causes of terrorism. Olukoju argued, “I agree with him. But like I do say, a multilateral approach should be added to it. I was in Maiduguri when we captured one of them, and the terrorist was unrepentant. We have the elite, traditional, spiritual, and military leaders — all of them have roles to play.”
Col. Saka Folusho (retd.) also said there was nothing wrong in declaring a state of emergency on insecurity. He, however, warned that alone would not solve Nigeria’s security problems unless the authorities tackle the illicit trade in arms and ammunition sustaining the violence. “The issue at hand — which is the state of emergency — yes, it’s okay. There’s nothing wrong, but there are some things we have not been addressing. For you to decide to sell ammunition, it means there is a lot of interest you are getting from the other side you are selling to. If somebody decides to sell what is supposed to be used to defend himself, that’s like the person wants to commit suicide,” Folusho said.
Lending its voice, the Northern Elders Forum reiterated its demand for a state of emergency on insecurity in the northern part of the country. The spokesperson for the forum, Prof. Abubakar Jiddere, in an interview with one of our correspondents, said, “In one of our press releases, we called for this. For the second time, we called for it twice. So, it is important for now that the government should declare a state of emergency on security. That does not mean suspending any government or doing any other thing. But rather by massively deploying security agencies. The police, the military, and all the armed, all armed policemen and then take very serious action.”
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives member representing Demsa, Numan and Lamurde federal constituency, Adamawa State, Kwamoti Laori, has said that only state policing can address insecurity in Nigeria. Speaking to The PUNCH in Yola, the Peoples Democratic Party federal lawmaker said that state police stand out as the best solution to the country’s insecurity, pointing out that it was experimented with in the 60s and proved effective.
In a related development, the African Democratic Congress, ADC, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over what it described as his administration’s insensitivity to the worsening insecurity across the country. In a statement issued on Sunday via X by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC accused the President of neglecting his constitutional responsibility as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces while insecurity continues to escalate nationwide.
However, the All Progressives Congress countered the ADC, stating that Nigeria is steadily progressing from a period of insecurity to greater national security, insisting that recent arrests of high-profile kidnappers and gang leaders underscored the government’s unwavering commitment to protecting citizens and stabilising the country.
