Rising insecurity: FG orders new strategy amid fresh attacks in Borno, Benue
By Daylight
May 8, 2025
COAS Oluyede
The Federal Government has called for an overhaul of military tactics to address Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.
This, it said the country needed rather than a security summit.
The Senate on Tuesday resolved to hold a two-day national security summit to brainstorm a solution to the rising wave of killings and other forms of insecurity in the country.
The decision followed a motion sponsored by Jimoh Ibrahim, senator representing Ondo south, at the resumption of plenary.
Speaking during the ministerial briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru, questioned the relevance of the Senate’s proposed national security summit, arguing instead for renewed strategy.
He said, “On the summit, yes, strategy is far more important than summit. But summit will give you some inputs for the strategy. When you hold a summit, you have people, they talk. We take what they expect, and we go back to design or renew our strategy.
“And then the chief of Defence staff gives operational orders based on the strategy they developed. So what the National Assembly is trying to do may be to bring people together to discuss issues.
“I visited most of the past defense ministers. I visited most of the past service chiefs to discuss issues of security during their time and what we see today and how we do. And I’m sure the service chiefs also did the same.
So, the summit can help, but the strategy is much more important.”
Badaru also dismissed the idea that terrorists possess superior firepower compared to the Nigerian military, insisting that the nation’s armed forces are better equipped.
He said, “ Yesterday, the House of Assembly said that the terrorists have better weapons than us.
“That is absolutely not true. That is absolutely not true. We have much more sophisticated weapons and we have much more sophisticated drones.
“The issue is, this war is not a conventional war. It’s like a guerrilla war. They watch us, they have informant around us .
They help the people that we try to protect. And they give them information. And they jump at us the way we don’t expect.
“So, they don’t have more equipment than us. We have much more. We have much more sophisticated equipment. “
On domestic efforts to enhance Nigeria’s military self-reliance, Badaru revealed that 10 of the 53 companies under the Defence Industrial Complex have commenced production of drones, aircraft components, helmets, and safety vests.
He said the government targets at least 20 firms to be fully operational by year’s end, with exports beginning in 2026.
“We’re also working on reviving sections of Ajaokuta Steel to support military hardware production,” he disclosed.
The minister’s comment came amid a fresh wave of deadly attacks that claimed the lives of an Army captain and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Borno and Benue.
In Benue, gunmen suspected to be armed herders attacked the Mbatsada communities in Mbalom and Mbasombo wards of Gwer East Local Government Area of the state, killing four, including APC chieftain Akaabo Johnson.
According to witnesses, the assailants stormed the area around 4:35 pm on Tuesday, firing indiscriminately.
The Chairman of Gwer-East LGA, Timothy Adi, who confirmed the incident in a telephone interview on Wednesday said the attack was unprovoked.
Lamenting the activities of armed herders in the council, Adi said that Tuesday’s attack was the second within the last two weeks.
He said that security men had been deployed to the area to secure the boundary lines of the local government area, in a bid to prevent further attacks.
Adi said, “Four dead bodies among them an APC elder in the ward were recovered and there bodies taken to St. Gregory Hospital morgue.
“I urge residents, particularly the youth, to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to relevant security agencies.
“We must remain united and steadfast. This attack is a tragedy, but we will not allow fear to rule us. Governor Alia is not resting – plans are underway to put an end to these unprovoked attacks.”
Efforts to get the Benue Command spokesperson, Catherine Anene to confirm the development were not successful as her phone rang out and has not responded to text messages sent to her cellphone as of the time of filing this report.
Similarly, in Borno State, the military was thrown into mourning after an Army captain was killed during a confrontation with Boko Haram insurgents who launched an ambush on a military facility in Giwa.
Confirming the incident, the Emir of Gwoza, HRH Alhaji Mohammed Shehu Timta, said the assailants stormed the area around 1am and engaged the troops.
“It’s true that my people in Izge community came under Boko Haram attack around 1am. Unfortunately, a Captain and a Soldier paid the supreme price.
“But troops, the Civilian JTF, hunters, vigilantes and resilient community members also killed three terrorists.
“The terrorists abandoned their weapons, over 10 motorcycles and they are still on the run, while being trailed by our security men,” he said.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede visited the North-East to oversee ongoing military operations under Operation HADIN KAI.
The Nigerian Army announced in a post on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle.
According to the post, General Oluyede is currently on ground leading frontline efforts against insurgents in the region.
“Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General OO Oluyede currently in the North East overseeing Army operations in Operation HADIN KAI, “the post read.
Reeling out the success of the military, Badaru, said troops eliminated a total of 13,541 terrorists and arrested 17,469 criminals across the country between May 2023 and February 2025.
He added that the troops also rescued 9,821 kidnapped hostages while a total of 124, 408 Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists surrendered within the period.
According to him, the period under review has seen the killing and capture of numerous terrorists and rescue of several hostages and the recovery of large catch-of-arms and ammunitions.
“Troops have also restored peace to hundreds of communities and thousands of our people have been brought to their ancestral homes.
“For instance, from May 2023 to February 2025, our troops have neutralised 13, 543 terrorists and criminals. We have arrested 17,469 and rescued 9,821 hostages.
“Meanwhile, 124, 408 Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorist combatants, fighters and their families also surrendered within the period.
“The summary of our operational success induced by the renewed synergy includes the recovery of 11,118 weapons and 252,596 assorted ammunition, “ he said.
On terrorist kingpin, Bello Turkish, Badaru said he has been on the run as a result of sustained offensives by the troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria in recent time.
He said that troops also killed several key terrorist leaders such as Maza Barume Madaro; Kachalla Alhaji Dati; Bani Wala Burki; Kachalla Dogo Kwaden; Chairman Hanazuma; Kachalla Bandiyo; and Maiyara Madaci.
Others killed include Alhaji Karki; Kachalla Makore; Zakiru and Okachalla Azarailu.
According to him, the military troops are neutralising these bandits by day, and the leaders are going down by day. And they are on the run.
“Recently, there has been a renewed impetus to all our operations across the country, translating into commendable achievement, specifically in the Northeast.
“Despite the recent short-lived desperation of the terrorists, troops have responded excessively and turned a devastating blow across the theatres,’’ he said.
Badaru assured Nigerians of the commitment of the military to address all the prevailing security challenges, adding that they were doubling their intelligence to nip them in the bud.
The Adamawa State Commissioner for Higher Education, Dr. Umar Pella, blamed Nigeria’s spiraling insecurity on decades of neglect in the education sector, warning that the government is now spending resources meant for development on combating violence and instability.
Speaking in Yola on Wednesday during a two-day media engagement organized by UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office, Pella stressed that lack of quality education poses a serious danger to any nation.
“Look at the security budget now and compare it to the education budget.
“It is clear that if this trend is not changed by improving the education budget, in the near future, the country’s resources will be channeled solely toward insecurity,”Pella said.
A university lecturer himself, Pella urged governments at all levels to fight insecurity not just with weapons, but by increasing investments in education.
He argued that a well-educated population would reduce the pool of recruits for criminal and insurgent groups..
A security expert and retired military officer, Bello Bakyasuwa, has called on the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, to resign over what he described as the minister’s failure to address the worsening insecurity in Zamfara State and the Northwest region.
Bakyasuwa, a former Commandant of the Zamfara State Anti-Thuggery Agency and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, made the call during an interview with PUNCH on Wednesday.
He accused Matawalle of neglecting the people of Zamfara, despite hailing from Maradun Local Government Area, one of the areas hardest hit by bandit attacks. Bakyasuwa, who also served as Director of Security Matters under the Zamfara State Government, described the minister’s role as unproductive and disconnected from the region’s security realities.
“As an indigene of Zamfara State, I will not keep quiet while our communities are being attacked by bandits, and several people are being killed and kidnapped daily.
“I have said it several times: Matawalle is unfit to be a defence minister and must resign because he brings no value to the people of Zamfara State or Nigeria.
“It is very unfortunate to note that, as minister for state (Defence), various incidences of insecurity are happening in his hometown and his home state as well as neighboring states of Sokoto, Katsina and Kebbi”, he said.
Bakyasuwa lamented the recent killing of the Chief Imam of Maru Jumuat mosque who he said was supposed to be rescued by the Minister.
“We condemn the recent killing of Chief Imam of Maru town in Maru Local government area by bandits with his two children after spending two months in captivity”.
“This is very sad for a whole Chief Imam of a town like Maru, one of the emirates in the state to be killed by bandits and nothing was done”.
Reacting to Bakyasuwa’s allegations, the Special Adviser to Defence Minister, Alhaji Ibrahim Danmaliki said, the claims by Bello Bakyasuwa were baseless, unfounded and politically motivated.
Danmaliki said, Bakyasuwa should have directed his allegations to Zamfara state government under the leadership of Governor Dauda Lawal who is the Chief security officer of the state.
Danmaliki expressed shock, particularly at how Bakyasuwa blamed Matawalle for the death of the Chief Imam of Maru Jumu’at Mosque, who was recently killed by bandits, stressing that “the state government should have been blamed, not Matawalle.
“Bakyasuwa should blame Governor Dauda Lawal because he (Lawal) could have saved the late Imam if he acted fast as Matawalle used to do when he was the Governor of Zamfara state.
“Dauda Lawal should be blamed for the death of the Chief Imam of Maru Jumuat mosque because as the Governor of the state, he did not do anything to save him.
“The Chief Imam was in captivity for over two months because of nine million Naira and the state government refused to do anything”.
“If you could recall, during Matawalle’s administration as the Governor of the state, he was able to secure the release of hundreds of people abducted by bandits.
“The students of Govt Secondary school kankara, GGSS Jangebe, Govt Day secondary school Kaya and many others were rescued by Matawalle during his tenure”.Punch
