By Solomon OKPO
Nigeria’s worsening security crisis has drawn a stark warning from Former Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Chief Nduese Essien, who says the nation is “dangerously close to normalising terror” as killings, kidnappings, and terrorist attacks escalate across multiple states.
Speaking with what he described as “a heavy heart,” Essien also a former Member of the House of Representatives and Chairman, House Committee on Anti-Corruption, National Ethics and Values, painted a grim picture of a country in distress. He cited a string of deadly attacks in recent days: the kidnapping and execution of Brigadier General Musa Uba and three soldiers in Borno; the abduction of over 64 people in Zamfara; the kidnapping of 25 female students and their principal in Kebbi; attacks on Christians praying in Kwara; and the kidnapping of more than 300 students from a Catholic school in Niger State.
“These tragedies are no longer isolated events,” he said. “They have become daily realities… Nigeria is dangerously close to normalising terror.”
Essien criticised the Federal Government led by President Bola Tinubu, accusing it of failing to demonstrate the urgency and clarity required to confront a rapidly evolving security threat. He recalled Tinubu’s years as a vocal critic of insecurity under previous administrations, noting that the situation has “worsened dramatically” under his watch.
Equally troubling, he said, were the appointments of defence ministers “with little or no experience in security or defence operations.” At a time when Nigeria is battling highly adaptive terrorist networks, he argued, defence leadership requires “strategic insight, operational competence, and deep knowledge of security matters, not political rewards.”
He warned that allegations of officials with sympathies or questionable links to terrorist groups must be taken seriously, as no nation can defeat terror with a compromised security architecture.
Calls for a Comprehensive Security Strategy:
Essien urged the government to adopt a robust, intelligence-driven security strategy that strengthens community-based security networks, adequately equips the armed forces, and confronts the uncomfortable truth that terrorism may be aided internally.
“Those who fund, support, or protect terrorists must be identified and held accountable,” he insisted.
He also linked the crisis to Nigeria’s socio-economic failures, particularly uncontrolled population growth, mass poverty, and millions of out-of-school children who are easily recruited by criminal groups.
Corruption and Political Manipulation Deepening the Crisis:
As a former Chairman of the House Committee on Anti-Corruption, National Ethics and Values, Essien condemned what he called the “cancer” of systemic corruption, which he said continues to undermine national security by draining resources meant for public welfare.
“Nigeria is constantly short of funds because of massive leakages,” he said, citing diverted public resources, unimplemented investigation reports, and failures of accountability. “A government that cannot control corruption cannot secure its people.”
He further warned that the politicisation of security and the suppression of opposition figures amounts to “political terrorism,” pushing the country dangerously close to dictatorship. The same leaders who today restrict protests, he said, once enjoyed unrestricted freedom to mobilise demonstrations.
“A democracy that silences dissent stands on the brink of dictatorship,” he said.
A Call for National Unity and Accountability:
Essien urged traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society, the media, and all Nigerians to rise above partisanship and demand competence and transparency from the government.
“The administration cannot continue as it is,” he warned. “The President must provide decisive and visionary leadership. The National Security Adviser and Defence Ministers must prove their capacity or resign. Service chiefs must deliver results or make way for those who can secure Nigeria.”
Despite the dire tone, Essien expressed belief that Nigeria can overcome its darkest moment if the will exists: “With unity and purpose, Nigeria can rise again.”
He ended with an urgent plea:
“Stand together, defend our country, and refuse to remain silent while it bleeds.”
