Nigeria sliding into anarchy if insecurity persists — Abdul Ningi

By Lawrence Agbo

Senator representing Bauchi Central, Abdul Ningi, has warned that Nigeria risks descending into anarchy if urgent and decisive measures are not taken to address the country’s worsening insecurity.

Speaking on Politics Today, Ningi said that although Nigeria is not officially at war, the current security climate reflects “a state of terrible confusion,” with escalating attacks increasingly targeting high-ranking military personnel rather than just civilians.

“We are sliding into anarchy if we don’t take the necessary measures,” he said.

According to him, the pattern of violence has shifted significantly, with armed groups now capable of striking senior officers, including generals, captains, and lieutenant colonels, in what he described as near-daily incidents.

“Today they get the best of our armed generals, captains, and lieutenant colonels, and it is happening in a manner that is almost everyday affairs.

“These are people who protect us. If those who are supposed to protect the nation cannot protect themselves, then where does that leave the rest of us?” he queried.

The lawmaker stressed the need for accountability in governance, urging citizens to challenge leaders more directly over what he described as lapses in addressing insecurity.

“Insecurity is taking long because people have not come to realise that they can push the government to do what they want. Anytime the government decides to do one thing, and people lament, they go back and sit down and watch.

“People must push and challenge us, to our faces, that we are not doing the right thing, he added.

Ningi also pointed to systemic weaknesses within Nigeria’s security architecture, citing critical manpower shortages across key agencies, including the army, navy, air force, and the Department of State Services (DSS).

“We are short of personnel in the Army, Navy, Air Force, DSS, yet they kill armed personnel, he said.

He maintained that the crisis is largely internal and can be addressed if the government prioritises resources effectively and adopts a more strategic approach to combating insecurity.

“These are things that are internal, that can be dealt with decisively if we prioritise our resources in fighting this insecurity.”