Alltimepost.com Sincerity of Purpose
By Igbotako Nowinta
Benin City, Edo, Nigeria — Amid escalating terrorism, banditry, and separatist violence, Prof Ochuko Iduemre, a senior Nigerian academic has issued a stark warning that Nigeria’s security situation is rapidly deteriorating, describing the country as increasingly unsafe and dangerously unstable.In an exclusive interview with Alltimepost.com on Tuesday, the Professor of Industrial Sociology and Labour Relations at the University of Benin, Edo State of Nigeria, said the nation is “under siege.”
He premised his assessment on the insurgency by Boko Haram and ISWAP which he noted continues to ravage the North-East, banditry and mass kidnappings in the North-Central, and separatist agitation linked to IPOB-fueled violence in the South-East.
According to him, Nigerians can no longer travel freely by road for fear of abduction, while repeated mass kidnappings of schoolchildren have turned education into a life-threatening experience.
Prof Iduemre also cited persistent killings in Benue State and surrounding areas, particularly of Christian communities, alongside attacks on military personnel and the destruction of government infrastructure attributed to armed groups.
“The security situation in Nigeria is very terrible and is getting worse every day,” Ochuko warned. “It is volatile, fragile, and clearly beyond routine containment. This calls for urgent and decisive government intervention.”
He argued that the current approach to insecurity has failed to address the root causes and enablers of terrorism. Ochuko said, if he were in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s position, his first priority would be to identify, arrest, and prosecute the sponsors of Boko Haram and other violent groups.
“Terrorism does not survive on ideology alone,” he said. “It survives on funding, protection, and powerful backers. Until the sponsors are exposed and punished, insecurity will persist.”
The professor also called for urgent military reforms, stressing that Nigeria’s armed forces are overstretched and under-resourced. He advocated the acquisition of modern, sophisticated weapons to match the evolving tactics of insurgents and criminals, as well as the recruitment of more military personnel to reduce operational fatigue among existing troops.
“Our soldiers are doing their best, but they are overworked and outnumbered,” Ochuko noted. “You cannot fight a 21st-century insurgency with limited manpower and outdated equipment.”
In addition, he urged the government to aggressively track and cut off the financial lifelines of terrorist groups, warning that failure to do so would allow violence to regenerate endlessly.
Beyond domestic efforts, Ochuko called for deeper international cooperation, particularly with the United States and other global powers, to strengthen intelligence sharing, training, and logistical support in the fight against insurgency.
“Nigeria cannot afford isolation in this war,” he said. “Terrorism is global and defeating it requires global collaboration.”
His intervention adds to growing public concern that insecurity has become Nigeria’s most urgent national emergency—one that threatens lives, economic activity, national unity, and the very authority of the state.
