A wave of deadly Easter attacks across northern Nigeria has sparked fresh outrage, with retired Air Commodore Abayomi Balogun delivering a scathing indictment of the country’s security system, calling it “reactive” and dangerously ineffective.
At least 26 people were killed in coordinated assaults spanning Benue, Kaduna, and Nasarawa states, where gunmen targeted communities and worshippers during the holiday period. In Benue alone, 17 residents were reportedly slain in Mbalom community in Gwar West, with additional fatalities recorded in neighboring states.
Speaking on Arise Prime Time, Balogun painted a grim picture of a nation under siege.
“Sadly, that’s what the storyline says, because it’s killing everywhere. The military is succeeding in some places, but what you want is total security for all citizens.”
He warned that Nigeria is fast becoming a “killing field,” blaming a longstanding failure to anticipate attacks.
“For a while, we have been reactive. We allow them to plan, we allow them to group until they attack us, then we respond. We must become more proactive. Our operations must be intelligence-driven so we can act before the enemy strikes.”
Balogun also criticised the absence of rapid-response capabilities, noting that attackers frequently vanish before security forces arrive.
“You hear that they attacked a place and disappeared into thin air. That should not happen. If we have air mobile quick response teams on standby, like we did in our time, response would be immediate.”
To fix the system, he proposed sweeping reforms, including a centralized Multi-Agency Coordination and Control Centre to unify intelligence and operations.
“When something happens, it should go straight to a central command where intelligence is analysed and passed instantly to the appropriate agency. With drones and real-time data, you can monitor and neutralise threats quickly.”
He also emphasized the importance of grassroots intelligence:
“The people at the grassroots must become your first line of defense without guns. When they see something, there must be a clear structure on who they report to.”
Balogun urged authorities to tap into retired military personnel—whom he described as “retired assets”—and deploy technology more effectively against kidnappers.
“Once kidnappers call for ransom and request bikes, those bikes can become their death certificate—they can be tracked to locate them.”
He further warned that military leadership is overstretched with administrative duties, calling for dedicated think tanks to develop innovative strategies.
While acknowledging root causes like unemployment and governance failures, Balogun insisted that immediate, decisive action is now critical.
“We know the root causes, but where we are now, we must take bold steps. We must be audacious. There are few bad people—we must become a terror to them so that the good people can live in peace.”
The Easter attacks have once again underscored Nigeria’s deepening security crisis, intensifying calls for urgent reforms to prevent further bloodshed.
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