Nigeria at the brink: Foreign terrorist fighters and the ticking clock of national survival  (3)

Nigeria now stands at a crucial existential crossroads. The nation’s worsening insecurity, driven by the unchecked influx of Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTFs), has reached a critical stage. This crisis, already explored in depth in the last two days, demands not just recognition but immediate, honest, and united action from Nigeria’s leadership and society. The failure to act decisively now risks plunging the country into political chaos and existential peril.

The way government leaders frame the causes of violence is not a trivial matter. It shapes public understanding, influences policy, and determines whether the nation mobilises or falters in the face of existential threats.

In Benue,  for example, the narrative has shifted repeatedly, fuelling confusion and inaction. The government’s narrative has been marred by dangerous inconsistencies and leadership flip-flops that have undermined trust, confused the public, and emboldened perpetrators.

Nigeria’s inability to settle on a clear, honest framing of the FTF problem has paralysed the nation’s response. Instead of mobilising society to confront a common enemy, leaders have allowed partisan, ethnic, religious and regional interests to dictate the narrative. This fragmentation has left communities vulnerable and the state’s authority diminished.

Between 2016 and 2017, “killer herdsmen” massacred hundreds in Tiv Land and Agatu communities. Then Benue Governor Samuel Ortom pleaded for federal help to end the carnage. But President Buhari’s administration attributed Benue’s killings to local “herder-farmer” disputes, admonishing Benue people to be “good neighbours” to outsiders. The killers became more emboldened.

Later, President Buhari reframed the issue: he told the Archbishop of Canterbury in April 2018 that fighters from the Sahel and Libya were responsible for the killings in North Central Nigeria. This inconsistency not only muddied the waters but also weakened the resolve to address the real threat.

When Benue’s Governor Ortom blamed open grazing, he was labelled as “the problem.” A presidential spokesperson later advised Benue people to prioritise staying alive over remaining in their communities, implying that federal help may never arrive.  When Ortom survived an assassination attempt, the Fulani Nationality Movement (FUNAM) claimed responsibility, but the police, after initially confirming the culprits as armed Fulani herdsmen, later exonerated the group under pressure.

During his tenure, Governor Ortom was outspoken about the external and internal threats facing Benue, consistently calling out federal inaction and demanding protection for his people.  However, his successor, Governor Hyacinth Alia, publicly claimed that herdsmen attacks have ceased under his administration and that peace has returned. He has also dismissed Ortom’s warnings as political theatrics, even as communities continue to suffer devastating attacks.  But when the killings, which he claimed had stopped, continued and escalated, he changed his narrative: the killers were now FTFs.

Late Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, after ordering invading terrorists out of Ondo forests, was pressured by the Presidency to take a more nuanced approach to regional insecurity, highlighting tensions between state and federal responses.

This pattern of blame-shifting and narrative manipulation is not just a political failing; it is a national security disaster.  Such flip-flops erode public confidence and make it nearly impossible to build the consensus needed for effective action.  Instead of confronting the FTF threat with honesty and urgency, leaders have chosen to play politics, leaving ordinary citizens to bear the brunt of violence and displacement.

The consequences of these leadership failures are stark. Over one million Benue citizens remain displaced, living in fear and deprivation. Women, children, and the elderly are trapped in camps, their futures stolen by violence and government inaction.

Meanwhile, security agencies are left without clear directives or adequate support. Governor Alia has been criticised for failing to engage with security stakeholders, ignoring expert advice, and neglecting to fund local governments, further crippling the state’s capacity to respond. The result is a cycle of violence, displacement, and despair, with no end in sight.

Existential stakes and the urgency of honest action

Nigeria stands at the edge of a precipice. This crisis is not confined to Benue. The unchecked spread of FTFs threatens Nigeria’s territorial integrity, social cohesion, and its very sovereignty. If the current trajectory continues – marked by leadership flip-flops, blame games, and dishonesty – Nigeria risks descending into political chaos and state failure.

The existential stakes could not be higher. Each day of delay strengthens the hand of terrorists and weakens the fabric of the Nigerian state. The only pathway to avoid a catastrophic political crisis and civil unrest is urgent, honest conversation and decisive action. Leaders at all levels must abandon self-serving narratives, confront the reality of FTFs, and mobilise every sector of society in a unified effort.

The hour is late. The risks of further inaction are existential. Only with speed, honesty, and unity can Nigeria hope to avert a looming crisis and secure a future for its people. Urgent action is required. Now.