Ex-Chief of Defence Staff Warns Against Lingering Insecurity in Nigeria
Former Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Ibrahim (retd.), has raised serious concerns over lingering threats to Nigeria’s unity, warning that both internal and external forces are working to destabilise the country.
Speaking at the reunion of the 42nd Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy in Abuja, Ibrahim said insecurity in Nigeria is not accidental but the result of weak borders, abundant resources, and deep divisions within the nation.
“One of our sins is that Nigeria is prosperous. You know what prosperity does to a nation? It invites many things in. And our borders are very porous. We are paying the price for being prosperous,” he said.
He added that while many Nigerians struggle to see prosperity at home, outsiders view the country as a land of opportunity to exploit.
Ibrahim also highlighted the threat posed by groups seeking to erode Nigeria’s identity. “There are people who are strategic and who never want this country to bear a name at all,” he said, recalling predictions made nearly a decade ago that the country could disintegrate. “Those people are still at war. They want to make this country disintegrate.”
The former defence chief stressed that tackling insecurity requires unity and collective action. Addressing his former classmates, he said,
“Your generation was prepared for the turbulence that defines this country today. I am quite sure you must have been in one sector or the other, managing the kind of turbulence that has tried to consume the essence of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Ibrahim called for stronger cooperation among military leaders, insisting that national security is not the responsibility of any single person. “Apart from NDA uniting all of us, we have no other country but Nigeria,” he said.
Reflecting on his tenure as Chief of Defence Staff between 2012 and 2014, he highlighted his role in restructuring military operations in troubled regions.
“I am very glad that, as Chief of Defence Staff, we created the division in the North West and the division in the North East, because a joint task force could not efficiently manage the scale of challenges we faced,” he noted.
Major General Folusho Oyinlola, President of the 42nd Regular Course, described the reunion as a time to reflect on shared values and recommit to service.
He urged officers to maintain unity despite differences in postings and ranks, emphasizing continued support for one another both professionally and personally.
