A growing chorus of retired senior military officers has thrown its weight behind former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor (retd), who has called for a declaration of a state of emergency to confront the protracted Boko Haram insurgency.
In his recently released book, Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum, Irabor argued that the absence of political will has crippled Nigeria’s counterinsurgency efforts, insisting that an emergency proclamation—properly backed by the National Assembly—would galvanise all instruments of national power toward a decisive end to the war.
“The government had not yet mustered the political will to declare a war against Boko Haram,” Irabor wrote. “With an emergency proclamation, there will be greater and more focused attention to galvanise all elements of national power—economic, political, social, diplomatic, informational, and military—towards the war. Tactical victories will never translate to strategic success without political will.”
Irabor’s intervention comes amid a spike in Boko Haram attacks across Borno and other northern states. The insurgents recently overran the border town of Kirawa, destroying a military barracks, dozens of homes, and the palace of the district head. More than 5,000 residents reportedly fled to Cameroon.
Elsewhere in the region, four soldiers were killed when insurgents attacked an army base, while joint forces repelled a separate raid in Banki. The renewed violence has deepened displacement, with over 2.2 million people still internally displaced nationwide and aid agencies warning of a worsening humanitarian crisis.
Brigadier General Peter Aro (retd.) described Irabor’s proposal as “apt and deeply informed by experience,” saying a properly structured state of emergency would restore coherence and urgency to the fight.
“It must be a genuine state of emergency—not one where governors and local councils carry on as usual,” Aro said. “Once politics steps aside and security takes full command, coordination improves, resources move faster, and the chain of authority becomes clear.”
Major General Dayo Olukoju (retd.) also backed the idea but called for a broader, multilateral strategy that tackles the roots of extremism. “Declaring a state of emergency is fine,” he said. “But we must address the underlying issues—freedom, identity, and inequality—or we risk a resurgence.”
Colonel Saka Folusho (retd.) warned that the measure alone would not end the conflict unless the illicit arms trade fuelling the violence was addressed. “For someone to sell the very weapons meant for defence, it means there’s profit on the other side,” he said. “We must fix that corruption in the system. And soldiers must be properly equipped and paid—you can’t fight terrorism on ₦50,000 a month.”
The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) reiterated its long-standing demand for a state of emergency on insecurity, insisting the government must deploy “massive security presence” across states most affected by violence, including Zamfara, Niger, Katsina, Benue, and Borno.
“It’s not about suspending government,” said NEF spokesperson Prof. Abubakar Jiddere. “It’s about a coordinated, large-scale response using all security agencies to stop the killings.”
Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) accused President Bola Tinubu of showing “cruel indifference” to the worsening security situation, saying his frequent attendance at social and political events amid mounting violence was “unacceptable and irresponsible.”
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said over 180 schools had been closed across the North due to insecurity, while bandits and insurgents continue to terrorise rural communities in Kwara, Kogi, Plateau, and Zamfara.
“Nigeria is under attack,” the ADC said. “This administration must stop pretending otherwise. The time for symbolic gestures is over; what the country needs now is leadership, urgency, and measurable results.”
But the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) dismissed the criticism, insisting Nigeria was “moving from insecurity to greater security.”
APC publicity director Bala Ibrahim accused the ADC of desperation, saying, “Recent arrests of high-profile kidnappers show that the government is winning. There are challenges, yes, but the speed of response proves that security is being taken seriously.”
The Federal Government has yet to comment on Irabor’s proposal. The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, said a response would be issued “in due course.”
