Kabiru Adamu to FG: Act now or Nigeria may fall to terror
A security expert, Kabiru Adamu, has warned that Nigeria is facing a serious threat due to rising insecurity in Borno State and other parts of the country. Adamu, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited, said while Borno had seen some calm in the past, the recent wave of attacks […]
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A security expert, Kabiru Adamu, has warned that Nigeria is facing a serious threat due to rising insecurity in Borno State and other parts of the country.
Adamu, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited, said while Borno had seen some calm in the past, the recent wave of attacks shows that the security situation is getting worse.
“Borno was never really safe,” he said during a television interview monitored in Abuja. “In the first three months of 2025, the state recorded the third highest number of deaths from attacks in Nigeria.”
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Thursday, he said terrorists used more complex tactics, with 98 incidents involving explosive devices reported in the first quarter of the year. This, he noted, was more than double the 38 incidents recorded in the last quarter of 2024.
“These groups are not what they used to be,” he said. “They are now using drones to drop explosives on military targets. That’s very dangerous,” he said.
He added that terrorists were now targeting areas where the Borno State government wants displaced people to return.
“Each time the government prepares a place for people to return, the terrorists attack that place,” he said. “They are clearly watching and planning their moves carefully.”
He also mentioned a fire that recently broke out at Giwa Barracks in Maiduguri, saying it added to the growing concern about safety in the area. However, he praised the new theatre commander in the region for bringing fresh energy to the fight against terrorism.
Speaking about the wider security challenges across the country, Adamu pointed to the problem of foreign fighters entering Nigeria.
“We have foreign herders invading Nigeria, especially in Benue and Plateau states,” he said. “This is no longer just a Nigerian issue. It’s a threat to our national security.”
He blamed weak border security and poor tracking of the movement of herders for the problem.
“In countries like Niger and Burkina Faso, they monitor who crosses the border with animals. We don’t do that here, and that’s dangerous,” he said.
On the planned national security summit by the National Assembly, Adamu said he had doubts it would bring any real change.
“We already know what the problems are,” he said. “What we need now is action, not more talk. If it’s just going to be another set of recommendations, then it’s a waste of money.”
He said the National Assembly should focus more on making sure the money spent on security is well used. He pointed out that N4.91 trillion — almost 10 per cent of the 2025 national budget — was set aside for defence.
“That’s a lot of money,” he said. “People have the right to know how it’s being used and if it’s making a difference.”
Reacting to President Tinubu’s plan to set up forest guards to fight criminals hiding in the bush, Adamu advised caution.
“I support the idea, but we must be careful,” he said. “Forest guards should not be sent to fight terrorists directly. They should come in after the military has cleared the area.”
He warned against giving forest guards poor-quality weapons when criminals already have military-level guns.
“You don’t send someone with a dane gun to face criminals with AK-47s,” he said.
Adamu also talked about how to measure success in the fight against insecurity. He said it should be based on facts and not just what government officials say.
“Between March and April this year, abductions went up by 49 per cent. That’s the reality,” he said. “We shouldn’t just listen to press statements. We should look at the actual numbers.”
He urged the government to act fast.
“If we don’t move quickly, we won’t just lose lives — we might lose control of the country,” he warned.