Insecurity, Leadership Collapse, and Systemic Corruption Are Nigeria’s Greatest Threats Gen Ijioma (retd)
Retired Major General Ijioma Nwokoro Ijioma has issued a scathing critique of Nigeria’s political and military leadership, warning that no insurgent group is stronger than the Nigerian Armed Forces but that decades of misrule, systemic corruption, and deliberate sabotage from within government have fueled the nation’s insecurity crisis.
Speaking in an exclusive interview, Gen. Ijioma, who previously served as Director of Military Operations in the Northeast and led the historic assault on Boko Haram strongholds in Sambisa Forest, challenged prevailing narratives around Nigeria’s insecurity.
“There is no force currently operating within Nigeria that is more powerful than the Armed Forces,” he asserted. “If such a force existed, it would have toppled the government, like the Taliban did in Afghanistan. What we are facing is not a military failure it is a political and moral one.”
Systemic Complicity and a Broken Leadership Culture
Citing former Head of State General Sani Abacha’s famous dictum that “any insurgency that lasts more than 24 hours has government backing” Ijioma accused successive Nigerian governments of enabling, or at least tolerating, insecurity for political and financial gain.
“If the Nigerian state were truly interested in ending terrorism, banditry, and separatist violence, they would be ended. These groups have no air force, no precision weapons, no satellite intelligence. Only the government has those capabilities,” he said. “And yet, the bloodshed continues. Why?”
The answer, according to the retired general, lies in the entrenched corruption and ethnic politicking that define Nigeria’s power structure. “Leadership failure is Nigeria’s terminal illness. When leaders are more loyal to ethnic, religious, or personal interests than to national unity, institutions collapse,” he warned.
Corruption at Every Level: A Rotting System
General Ijioma did not mince words in connecting insecurity to corruption across both civil and military institutions. He recounted how he was illegally retired in 2016 a decision overturned by the National Industrial Court, which ruled his dismissal unlawful. Despite the court’s order for reinstatement, the military refused to comply.
“Even within the armed forces, rule of law is trampled upon. What then do we expect from the political class?” he asked.
Highlighting widespread corruption, Ijioma pointed to the embezzlement of military funds, inflated defense contracts, and the unchecked looting of public coffers. He cited the disappearance of over $2 billion in arms procurement funds under past administrations as evidence of the state’s complicity in insecurity.
“We’re spending billions on defense, yet soldiers on the frontlines lack basic equipment. Police pensions are stolen. Civil servants retire into poverty. Meanwhile, politicians buy private jets with public funds.”
Hunger, Poverty, and a Silenced Citizenry
Ijioma also drew attention to the socioeconomic crisis gripping the country. “When a man is starving, he cannot challenge bad governance. That’s why the political elite weaponizes poverty,” he said.
He lamented the collapse of vibrant institutions like the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), once a formidable voice for justice. “Today, the NLC is compromised, docile, and toothless. Like many institutions in Nigeria, it has been captured by corrupt leadership,” he said.
Why Security Forces Perform Better Abroad
The retired general contrasted the exemplary record of Nigerian peacekeepers abroad with their dysfunction at home. “Our troops perform admirably on foreign missions. So why do they fail here? Because the Nigerian environment is anti-progress it’s polluted by corruption, poor morale, and institutional sabotage.”
Referencing a viral video of a police officer who, after 35 years of service and earning a Ph.D., was offered a meager ₦2 million in retirement benefits, Ijioma called the current system “inhumane and disgraceful.”
“How do you expect integrity from a constable whose entire career will end in destitution? Or from a general whose dismissal was politically engineered?”
A Bleak Future Without Radical Reform
In closing, Gen. Ijioma warned that unless Nigeria confronts its corruption epidemic and rebuilds its institutions with competent and patriotic leadership, the nation risks total collapse.
“Our past is better than our present, and our future looks frightening,” he said. “No military reform can succeed without political reform. No political reform can succeed without moral courage. And right now, both are missing.”
Reference
Insecurity, Leadership Collapse, and Systemic Corruption Are Nigeria’s Greatest Threats Gen Ijioma (retd)