Nigeria’s worsening insecurity has taken a fresh and controversial turn as Northern Elders have questioned the Federal Government’s selective security strategy, comparing it with the multi-billion-naira contracts awarded to ex-Niger Delta militants for pipeline surveillance.
The elders, speaking amid rising cases of banditry, kidnappings, and killings linked to forest hideouts, asked why the same Federal Government cannot adopt a similar approach in the North by engaging armed Fulani herdsmen—who already occupy forest regions—to guard and secure the forests.
📌 The Argument by Northern Elders
According to the elders:
The Federal Government currently pays billions of naira to former Niger Delta militants to protect oil pipelines and critical national assets.
These ex-militants were once perceived as security threats but are now partners in safeguarding national economic interests.
Forests across Northern Nigeria have become safe havens for bandits, terrorists, and kidnappers.
Since armed Fulani herdsmen already live and operate within these forests, formally engaging them through contracts could help restore peace and improve intelligence gathering.
They argue that such an arrangement could:
Reduce insecurity
Create economic inclusion
Turn perceived threats into stakeholders in peace, just as was done in the Niger Delta.
⚠️ A Proposal Stirring National Controversy
While some see the proposal as pragmatic and realistic, critics warn it could:
Legitimize armed non-state actors
Encourage self-help security systems
Undermine constitutional security agencies
Deepen ethnic and regional mistrust
Security analysts also question whether arming or legitimizing already-armed groups could worsen Nigeria’s fragile security situation rather than solve it.
🧠 A Nation at a Crossroads
This debate reopens critical national questions:
Is Nigeria gradually privatizing security along ethnic lines?
Why are some armed groups rewarded while others are criminalized?
Should the solution to insecurity involve negotiation, integration, or strict enforcement of the law?
The comparison with the Niger Delta pipeline contracts has reignited calls for equity, consistency, and transparency in national security policies.
🗣️ What Do You Think?
Is the Northern Elders’ demand a realistic security solution or a dangerous precedent?
Should Nigeria adopt community-based security models or strengthen formal security institutions?
Is the Niger Delta model being misapplied or misunderstood?
👇 Drop your comment in the comment box and let your voice be heard.
