Some politicians funding terrorism in Nigeria – Ex‑CDS Irabor

Former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (retd.), warned on Monday that several Nigerian politicians are exploiting the country’s insecurity for political gain. Speaking on Channels Television, Irabor said the security challenges facing Nigeria are far too complex to be reduced to a single cause.

He identified multiple, overlapping threats—ideological, criminal, political and economic—that operate simultaneously. “You can’t hold people for their views, but the reality is that our security challenges are multifaceted,” Irabor said. He explained that terrorists, bandits, community displacers and economic criminals each have distinct motives, making it inaccurate to lump all violent incidents into one category.

Irabor cautioned against sweeping generalisations that attribute every attack to a single factor. “If you lump the entire thing into one, the analysis would be wrong,” he said. While acknowledging that political motives do exist, he stressed that they do not explain every incident. “Those who say it is purely political are also lumping all the issues and saying the other problems do not matter – that’s not correct,” he added.

The former defence chief admitted that some political figures have weaponised insecurity for personal gain, seeking to portray themselves as capable of restoring order. “That does not mean some politicians have not taken advantage of the insecurity to perhaps gain some sort of leverage; to give the impression that they can do better,” Irabor said. He also warned that others may exploit crises to score political points or highlight governance failures.

Irabor’s comments come a day after presidential aide Daniel Bwala announced that the Federal Government is preparing to publicly name individuals financing terrorism. The remarks highlight the growing political and security tension in Nigeria, where various armed groups continue to operate across the country.

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