Retired military officers gathered in Kaduna to challenge a narrative they say is damaging Nigeria's fight against insecurity.
The group insisted that blaming the North for terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping ignores a harsh reality. These threats now plague every region of the country.
Brigadier General Ismaila Abdullahi (rtd) spoke for the retired officers at the briefing. He said security challenges shouldn't be viewed through an ethnic or regional lens.
Among those present were Ambassador A. Mohammed Musawa and Air Commodore Yusuf Anas (rtd).
Also attending were Brigadier General Maharazu Tsiga (rtd), Ambassador Ibrahim Usman Gafai, and Brigadier General Abdulkadir Abubakar (rtd).
Abdullahi lamented what he called divisive commentary about Nigeria's security crisis. Some commentators, he noted, pin all of the state's problems on the North.
"These incidents have attracted condemnation and taken on ethnic colouration," he said during the briefing.
According to him, such narratives are counterproductive to national security efforts. Nigeria needs to move past what he termed "selective outrage" over insecurity.
The retired officers posed sharp questions to Nigerians about the country's response. "Why are we so good at selective justice?" Abdullahi asked.
Kidnappings, terrorism and banditry have spread nationwide, they emphasized. No single part of the nation can remain unconcerned by these threats.
General Rabe Abubakar died in captivity after armed bandits abducted him and his wife near Matazu in Katsina State. His death, the officers said, reflects a system failing to protect its citizens.
It was more than just another tragic headline, in their view. The incident exposed deep vulnerabilities in Nigeria's security architecture.
They acknowledged the federal government and Katsina State authorities for securing the release of his wife, Hajia Amina Rabe Abubakar. That operation showed what coordinated action could achieve.
However, the retired officers warned that previous measures have largely failed or delivered limited results. Nigeria's approach to insecurity must become more proactive and grounded in reality.
"The current trend across all states makes it difficult to separate conflict zones from peaceful ones," their statement read.
Ethnic rivalry and religious intolerance have complicated responses to insecurity, they argued. Weak cooperation among stakeholders has hampered progress.
Insufficient political will at various government levels emerged as another major obstacle. Without stronger commitment, defeating terrorism and banditry remains unlikely.
The group welcomed Nigeria's growing security partnerships with the United States and other nations. Yet they stressed that Nigerians themselves bear ultimate responsibility for securing their country.
