National Issues
Evil Forests And Terror Gangs In Western Nigeria | By Oludayo Tade
Living in terror spaces seem an apt description of what Nigerians encounter daily. The leadership of Nigeria has not live up to meeting what is contained in the National Security Strategy (NSS) released by the Muhammadu Buhari government in 2019. In this document, the Federal Government of Nigeria is said to be committed to the National values of “freedom, equality and Justice”. The National Interest of Nigeria is said to be “preservation of Nigeria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and welfare of her people”. It recognises that armed banditry, kidnapping, militancy, separatists’ agitations and farmers and herders’ conflict, and porous borders collectively account for 40% of Nigeria’s national security threats. However, insecurity thrives because government want freedom and equality but denies those victimised justice, and it mouths territorial integrity but continues to open her borders to transnational organised criminal gangs and transnational herders who continue to occupy ungoverned forests and wrecks havoc on livelihoods of indigenous Nigerian peoples whom President Muhammadu Buhari swore to secure and look after their welfare.
It was due to this obvious inefficiency of Federal Government controlled security agencies in taming mounting national security threats coupled with the experiences of victimisation in the hands of hellish terrorists who have turned highways and ungoverned forest spaces in western Nigeria to Kidnappers Bank of Nigeria (KBN), that southwest Governors harmonise their thoughts for the establishment of Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun to secure the region from external aggression. From Ondo, to Ekiti, Osun to Ogun and Oyo States, the cries of indigenous peoples whose relations have suffered victimisation due to kidnapping, and herdsmen lawlessness are thunderous. The experiences vary and cut across social status. It affects those in government like Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and those out of government like Chief Olu-Falae who has been serial victim of kidnapping and herdsmen farm destruction. The sad tale continues in agrarian communities of Ibarapa in Oyo State where farmers, residents and investors have been murdered allegedly by criminal gangs of Fulani extraction. The Federal Government asked people to diversify to agriculture but those who have embraced farming are being displaced by forests gangs, and criminal kidnappers operating under the umbrella of herdsmen. Igangan community leaders cried to their State government and security agencies but they were let down as kidnapping continued. When confronted with security dilemma with no help from State Government and the police, citizens are forced to employ self-up strategy which may be illegal but safety expedient.
While Ondo State seemed proactive, the Oyo State government was reactive and allowed a non-state actor, Sunday Adeyemo also known as ‘Igboho’, who is not a stranger to top politicians in the region, in defiance to the law confront the palace of Seriki Fulani accused of mediating payment of ransoms and bailing arrested tribal criminals. Even if Igboho’s approach was crude, the opportunity for Governor Seyi Makinde and the police to arrest the situation was provided by the seven day ultimatum he issued. Rather than moving in to douse the tension and reassuring residents of their safety and bring perpetrators to book, they looked on until Igboho with his supporters moved to Igangan, addressed the people and the aftermath triggered forced reactive state mobilisation to speak with the affected communities. The meeting revealed that no fewer than 15 women had been raped with the payment of N50million naira to kidnappers. Some prominent investors from the communities were also killed by these violent criminal Fulani gangs.
While there are many law-abiding Fulani settlers who have co-habited peacefully for decades, the incursion of transnational Fulani gangs hibernating in forests in the name of herding but who later switch to kidnapping and torture of victims to pay millions threatens such historical peaceful relations. What the law abiding Fulani settlers ought to do is to expose the criminals straining their relationship with the host communities and not cover up for tribal criminals or mediate ransom payments. This is where profiling sets-in. Although there is sense in Governor Makinde’s approach not to label the Fulani ethnic groups as kidnappers, but the fact remains that victims of kidnapping debriefing unveiled the characteristics of their kidnappers and this data ought to have been used proactively in nipping the crime in the bud in the Ibarapa communities. Criminal profiling has been embraced as standard practice globally during which evidences from crime scene are used in identifying and predicting the personality of the offender. Criminological profiling assists in understanding the modus operandi, motivations driving crime, and offender characteristics with a view to preventing future crimes. Through it, we are able to know the geography of offending, likely victims, and time of offending and the character of victimisation.
That said, the kidnapping and banditry in the southwest region cannot be entirely successful without criminal collaboration of insiders. There are those who supply information on movement of who to kidnap, their relations, routines among others. There are also corrupt traditional rulers who compromise the security of their communities by accommodating criminals and releasing their lands in exchange for insecurity. Such traditional rulers should be deposed by government of such a State to serve as deterrent to others. Each state in the region needs to track influx of foreigners into their transport sector such as those doing Okada business. They need to be registered to work. Transnational beggars also litter most urban landscape in the region and may constitute security risks. While playing national unity politics of reception, indigenous security must not be sacrificed. Residents must also be warned against employing undocumented live-in workers.
The nature of security dilemma confronting western Nigerian peoples stems from the politics of national security. Western Nigerian peoples have observed overtime that offenders of farm destructions, complaints about kidnapping and banditry do not get desired attention and response from government. They therefore read State complicity in their criminal victimisation. Further to this, there is mutual suspicion between indigenous peoples of western Nigeria and the Fulani nation. This suspicion is fuelled by the uncertainty which they nurse about the intention of the Fulani in the region while the Fulani are suspicious of the Yoruba intention towards them. With other words, Yoruba fears the Fulani of attacking its ancestral home and displacing her people in pursuit of expansionist agenda while the Fulani also fears their evacuation from the zone. Owing to this fear, each side is accumulating power and capabilities to defend themselves and this can lead to further insecurity through avoidable wars.
Three critical elements of deterrence theory should be implemented to save the situation. One is SWIFTNESS. The response of the State (Federal and State Governments) must be swift and not allow things to degenerate to the level of destruction as witnessed in Igangan before acting. It does not show responsive and responsible governance. Second element is CERTAINTY that the offender will be arrested and punished. Resort to self-help is mostly precipitated when the victims of crime feel unprotected by those who should and see offenders being shielded by the State. How many victims of farm destruction, rape, kidnapping and murder have been served justice in the affected communities? The third is SEVERITY of punishment. It sees kidnappers, bandits, rapists among others as rational human beings who calculate the costs and benefits of kidnapping and banditry before venturing into it. This element is saying that it is not sufficient that the offender is arrested; he/she must be inflicted with punishment sufficient enough to deter future offending. Not doing this accounts for the festering of the crime. Southwest governors must network on their security policies and collectively enforce the ban on open, night and underage grazing and rout criminals hibernating in her forests.
Dr. Tade, a sociologist,writes from Ibadan, Oyo state
TEXT OF THE BROADCAST BY PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES, DECLARING STATE OF EMERGENCY IN RIVERS STATE ON TUESDAY 18 MARCH 2025
Fellow Nigerians, I feel greatly disturbed at the turn we have come to regarding the political crisis in Rivers State. Like many of you, I have watched with concern the development with the hope that the parties involved would allow good sense to prevail at the soonest, but all that hope burned out without any solution to the crisis.
With the crisis persisting, there is no way democratic governance, which we have all fought and worked for over the years, can thrive in a way that will redound to the benefit of the good people of the state. The state has been at a standstill since the crisis started, with the good people of the state not being able to have access to the dividends of democracy.
Also, it is public knowledge that the Governor of Rivers State for unjustifiable reasons, demolished the House of Assembly of the state as far back as 13th December 2023 and has, up until now, fourteen (14) months after, not rebuilt same. I have made personal interventions between the contending parties for a peaceful resolution of the crisis, but my efforts have been largely ignored by the parties to the crisis. I am also aware that many well-meaning Nigerians, Leaders of thought and Patriotic groups have also intervened at various times with the best of intentions to resolve the matter, but all their efforts were also to no avail. Still, I thank them.
On February 28, 2025, the supreme court, in a judgment in respect of about eight consolidated appeals concerning the political crisis in Rivers State, based on several grave unconstitutional acts and disregard of rule of law that have been committed by the Governor of Rivers State as shown by the evidence before it pronounced in very clear terms:
“a government cannot be said to exist without one of the three arms that make up the government of a state under the 1999 Constitution as amended. In this case the head of the executive arm of the government has chosen to collapse the legislature to enable him to govern without the legislature as a despot. As it is there is no government in Rivers State.”
The above pronouncement came after a catalogue of judicial findings of constitutional breaches against the Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Going Forward in their judgment, and having found and held that 27 members of the House who had allegedly defected
“are still valid members of Rivers State House of Assembly and cannot be prevented from participating in the proceedings of that House by the 8th Respondent (that is, the Governor) in cohorts with four members”
The Supreme Court then made some orders to restore the state to immediate constitutional democracy. These orders include the immediate passing of an Appropriation Bill by the Rivers State House of Assembly which up till now has not been facilitated.
Some militants had threatened fire and brimstone against their perceived enemy of the governor who has up till now NOT disowned them.
Apart from that both the House and the governor have not been able to work together.
Both of them do not realise that they are in office to work together for the peace and good governance of the state.
The latest security reports made available to me show that between yesterday and today there have been disturbing incidents of vandalization of pipelines by some militant without the governor taking any action to curtail them. I have, of course given stern order to the security agencies to ensure safety of lives of the good people of Rivers State and the oil pipelines.
With all these and many more, no good and responsible President will standby and allow the grave situation to continue without taking remedial steps prescribed by the Constitution to address the situation in the state, which no doubt requires extraordinary measures to restore good governance, peace, order and security.
In the circumstance, having soberly reflected on and evaluated the political situation in Rivers State and the Governor and Deputy Governor of Rivers State having failed to make a request to me as President to issue this proclamation as required by section 305(5) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, it has become inevitably compelling for me to invoke the provision of section 305 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State with effect from today, 18th March, 2025 and I so do.
By this declaration, the Governor of Rivers State, Mr Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Mrs Ngozi Odu and all elected members of the House of Assembly of Rivers State are hereby suspended for an initial period of six months.
In the meantime, I hereby nominate Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) as Administrator to take charge of the affairs of the state in the interest of the good people of Rivers State. For the avoidance of doubt, this declaration does not affect the judicial arm of Rivers State, which shall continue to function in accordance with their constitutional mandate.
The Administrator will not make any new laws. He will, however, be free to formulate regulations as may be found necessary to do his job, but such regulations will need to be considered and approved by the Federal Executive Council and promulgated by the President for the state.
This declaration has been published in the Federal Gazette, a copy of which has been forwarded to the National Assembly in accordance with the Constitution. It is my fervent hope that this inevitable intervention will help to restore peace and order in Rivers State by awakening all the contenders to the constitutional imperatives binding on all political players in Rivers State in particular and Nigeria as a whole.
Long live a united, peaceful, secure and democratic Rivers State in particular and the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a whole.
The Department of State Services (DSS) has emphasized the need for the recruitment of intelligent graduates into its ranks, stating that crime-fighting requires intellect and strategic thinking.
DSS Director, Oluwatosin Ajayi, made this known on Wednesday while delivering a lecture at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State.
The lecture, titled “The Roles of the DSS in Security, Peacekeeping, and National Integration,” highlighted the agency’s crucial role in safeguarding the nation and the necessity of strengthening intelligence institutions.
Ajayi, represented by DSS Deputy Director Patrick Ikenweiwe, stressed that the country’s best minds should be drafted into the DSS to address the growing security challenges.
“If I have my way, the best graduates in the country should be compelled to join the DSS and serve the nation in tackling security threats,” Ikenweiwe stated.
Drawing a comparison to Israel’s academic system, he noted: “In Israel, students who score above 70 marks in their university entrance exam are automatically placed in the university. Tell me, how would a ‘Dundee’ (dullard) be able to counter a criminal gang made up of first-class brains? Intelligence is key to fighting crime.”
He further advocated for collaboration with academic institutions to identify top-performing students who could be recruited into the intelligence service.
The DSS official also outlined several threats to national security, including sabotage, subversion, and espionage, urging a comprehensive approach to national security that includes intelligence-driven solutions and a well-trained workforce.
The Nigerian government spent a staggering $3.58 billion on servicing foreign debt within the first nine months of 2024, marking a significant 39.77% increase compared to the $2.56 billion expended over the same period in 2023.
This data, drawn from a recent report on international payment statistics by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), reflects a concerning rise in the country’s foreign debt obligations amid depreciating currency values.
According to the report, the most substantial monthly debt servicing payment occurred in May 2024, totaling $854.37 million. This is a substantial 286.52% increase from May 2023’s $221.05 million.
Meanwhile, the highest monthly payment for 2023 was $641.7 million in July, underscoring the trend of Nigeria’s escalating debt costs.
Detailed analysis of monthly payments further illuminates the trend.
In January 2024, debt servicing costs surged by 398.89%, reaching $560.52 million, a significant rise from $112.35 million in January 2023. However, February saw a modest reduction of 1.84%, with costs decreasing from $288.54 million in 2023 to $283.22 million in 2024. March also recorded a decline of 31.04%, down to $276.17 million from $400.47 million the previous year.
Additional fluctuations in debt payments continued throughout the year, with June witnessing a slight decrease of 6.51% to $50.82 million from $54.36 million in 2023. July 2024 payments dropped by 15.48%, while August showed a 9.69% decline compared to 2023. September, however, reversed the trend with a 17.49% increase, highlighting persistent pressure on foreign debt obligations.
With the rise in exchange rates exacerbating these financial strains, Nigeria’s foreign debt servicing costs are projected to remain elevated.
The central bank’s data highlights how these obligations are stretching national resources as the naira’s devaluation continues to impact debt repayment in dollar terms.
Rising State Debt Levels Add Pressure
The federal government’s debt challenges are mirrored by state governments, whose collective debt rose to N11.47 trillion by June 30, 2024.
Despite allocations from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) and internally generated revenue (IGR), states remain heavily reliant on federal transfers to meet budgetary demands.
According to the Debt Management Office (DMO), the debt burden for Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) rose by 14.57% from N10.01 trillion in December 2023.
In naira terms, debt rose by 73.46%, from N4.15 trillion to N7.2 trillion, primarily due to the naira’s depreciation from N899.39 to N1,470.19 per dollar within six months. External debt for states and the FCT also increased from $4.61 billion to $4.89 billion during this period.
Further data from BudgIT’s 2024 State of States report illustrates how reliant states are on federal support. The report revealed that 32 states depended on FAAC allocations for at least 55% of their revenue in 2023.
In fact, 14 states relied on FAAC for 70% or more of their revenue. This heavy dependence on federal transfers underscores the vulnerability of states to fluctuations in federal revenue, particularly those tied to oil prices.
The economic challenges facing both the federal and state governments are stark. The combination of mounting foreign debt, fluctuating exchange rates, and high reliance on federally distributed revenue suggests a need for fiscal reforms to bolster revenue generation and reduce vulnerability to external shocks.
With foreign debt obligations continuing to grow, the report emphasizes the urgency for Nigeria to address its debt sustainability to foster long-term economic stability.
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