Nigeria Must Declare War To Tackle Insecurity, Says Ex CDS

Former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Lucky Irabor (rtd), has said Nigeria is merely “assuming” it is at war, stressing that there are no legal instruments officially declaring the country to be in a state of war despite years of battling terrorism and banditry.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Irabor said the absence of a formal declaration of war has limited the country’s ability to fully mobilise national resources and coordinate state power towards ending insecurity.

“No legal instruments indicate that Nigeria is at war. We’re only assuming that we’re at war. There is a need to declare war in order to aggregate the elements of state power and direct it to the war effort,” he said.

According to him, a formal declaration would make a huge difference by ensuring proper resource allocation and clear accountability frameworks that could drive better results in the fight against insurgency.

He, however, cautioned that the war against insecurity must not rely solely on military might, but also on governance and socio-economic interventions that address the root causes of criminality.

“We must pivot away from the preponderance of military power to other elements such as governance and policies. If we reduce the number of out-of-school children and the unemployed, we will reduce the pool from which criminals recruit,” he said.

Reflecting on his tenure, Irabor described the Kaduna train abduction as one of his most challenging moments, alongside overseeing counterinsurgency operations in the Northeast and restoring stability in oil-producing regions.

Despite the challenges, the former CDS said he has no regrets about his service.

“No regrets for me. With my head high, my shoulders high, I’m proud to be a Nigerian and a soldier. If I were called to do it again, I would,” he said.

Irabor, who has documented his experiences in a new book, said the work was written for those genuinely seeking solutions to Nigeria’s security challenges

“Those who are interested in solving problems should read the book, not those who come to disparage,” he said.