Former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (retd.), has cautioned that attributing all violent incidents in Nigeria to politics oversimplifies the country’s complex security issues and deepens public misunderstanding.
Speaking in a televised interview on Monday, Irabor explained that multiple “layers” drive insecurity nationwide. He noted that while terrorist groups often operate on ideological motives, other actors including criminals targeting specific communities, gangs seeking territorial control, and individuals motivated by economic gain also contribute to the violence.
“You can’t hold people for their views, but the reality is that our issues in terms of security challenges are multifaceted,” he said, stressing that lumping all incidents under a political label creates a misleading picture.
Irabor acknowledged that some political actors exploit insecurity to advance personal agendas, portraying themselves as problem-solvers or highlighting government shortcomings. “That does not mean some politicians have not taken advantage of the insecurity to perhaps gain some sort of leverage,” he added.
He warned that politicising violence fuels division and undermines the efforts of security agencies working to stabilise affected communities. His comments follow a presidential aide’s indication that the Federal Government plans to disclose the identities of individuals accused of financing terrorism.
