Mr. Hassan Taiwo Soweto, the National Youth Leader of the Socialist Party of Nigeria, SPN, has criticised Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, over what he described as a dangerous and poorly thought-out security approach to communal conflicts.
Soweto made the remarks in a post on his official Facebook page on Thursday, where he questioned Ribadu’s competence in counter-terrorism and conflict management.
“I wonder where Nuhu Ribadu got his counter-terrorism qualifications from,” Soweto wrote.
He condemned what he alleged to be the use of public funds to set up and arm a Fulani-based vigilante group to combat banditry, describing the move as “probably the most stupid security strategy of the century.”
According to him, Nigeria’s security crisis is deeply rooted in ethnic and religious tensions, and any intervention that appears biased would only worsen the situation.
“In an internecine conflict where religious and ethnic identities have become weaponised amidst a turbo-charged atmosphere of mutual suspicion, using tax-payers’ money to set up and arm a Fulani-based vigilante to go after bandits is dangerous,” he said.
Soweto rejected the argument that sharing the same ethnic identity with bandits would make such vigilantes more effective.
“There is no explanation or argument that can justify this. Not even the argument that being that they share the same ethnic identity, the vigilantes can better track the bandits,” he stated.
He stressed that trust is essential for any successful intervention in communal conflicts.
“The first requirement for any intervention to succeed is the trust and confidence of both sides. Once you lose that, you lose everything,” Soweto said.
He added that communities who have suffered years of killings, arson, raids and kidnappings would not feel safe being protected by people who share the same ethnicity and religion as their attackers.
“There is no way communities who have been enduring killings, violent raids, arson and kidnappings for years can be expected to be comfortable with a rescue team made up exclusively of people from the same ethnicity and religion as their tormentors,” he said.
He also noted that Fulani communities would similarly reject vigilantes made up solely of ethnic groups they perceive as hostile to them.
Soweto said this is why socialists are calling for a different security approach.
“This is the reason Socialists call for the setting up of a non-sectarian — multi-ethnic, multi-religious and democratic — defence committees, armed where necessary,” he explained.
According to him, such committees should include representatives from all affected communities and focus strictly on defending villages and confronting bandits, kidnappers and other threats to peace.
He further criticised Ribadu’s past actions, referencing arrests made during the #EndBadGovernance protest.
“What else can we expect from an NSA who, during the #EndBadGovernance protest last year, acted on false intelligence of a ‘Russian plot’ to arrest over 100 hungry children and arraigned them for treason,” Soweto said.
He also mentioned a separate treason case filed against protesters Adaramoye Michael Lenin and others, which was recently dismissed by the court.
“Another case of treason he and his pal, IGP Egbetokun, instituted against Adaramoye Michael Lenin and 10 others was dismissed last week by the court for lack of diligent prosecution,” he wrote.
Soweto concluded with a grim warning about the state of Nigeria’s security leadership.
“If that is the kind of intelligence coordinating Nigeria’s response to its security crisis, then it is safe to say the country is doomed,” he said.
Earlier, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) acknowledged that it provided arms to vigilante groups as part of efforts to support security agencies in combating terrorism, banditry, and other criminal activities, particularly in hard-to-access terrains.
In a statement, the Head of Strategic Communications at the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), ONSA, Mr Abu Michael, said the intervention was in line with Part III, Sections 4, 5 and 6 of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022.
Mallam Nuhu Ribadu was appointed by President Bola Tinubu as National Security Adviser on June 19, 2023.
He explained that the NCTC, operating under the ONSA, “continues to coordinate and support law enforcement, security and intelligence agencies in countering all forms of terrorism in Nigeria.”
Michael made the clarification while responding to media reports surrounding an incident in Kwara State, where a rifle reportedly issued by the Office of the National Security Adviser was recovered.
He called on the media to act responsibly, safeguard sensitive security information, and seek clarification through designated official spokespersons.
According to him, “recent media reports published on some online platforms” made it necessary to clarify aspects of ongoing counter-terrorism operations across the country, “particularly in forested areas of Kwara State.”
He said, “In line with the National Counter Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST), Nigeria’s kinetic approach includes the deployment of hybrid forces. This involves the coordinated use of regular security forces and trained irregular auxiliaries, such as hunters and vigilante elements, to operate in difficult terrains, including forest areas.
“This approach previously guided the engagement of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) in the North East. The CJTF comprised trained civilian volunteers who worked alongside the Armed Forces in operations against Boko Haram
“The same strategy currently informs hybrid deployments in parts of the North West and North Central. These operations are aimed at degrading the capabilities of bandit, criminal, and terrorist groups. This approach has yielded several successful outcomes.
“The situation in Kwara State is not different. However, media reports on the matter are inaccurate. The limited public information is due to the sensitive nature of these operations.”
He noted that details of the incident were being restricted to prevent operational compromise and to protect the safety of personnel and auxiliary forces.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Federal Government and its agencies are not conducting kinetic operations with any socio-cultural groups.
“Claims that the Office of the National Security Adviser has provided arms to any socio-cultural organisation are false and should be disregarded,” he added
He said all hybrid personnel were recruited directly by authorised security and intelligence agencies following due diligence.
“All operations are conducted in accordance with the law and established standard operating procedures,” he said.
He therefore, urged the public to disregard unverified reports that misrepresent the conduct of these operations.
“The media is also urged to exercise responsibility, protect sensitive security information, and seek clarification through designated official spokespersons,” he stated.
He further assured that the National Counter Terrorism Centre remained committed to an open-door policy aimed at strengthening stakeholder engagement and improving understanding of Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts.