Retired Generals Support Calls For State Of Emergency Over Terrorism Threat

A growing chorus of voices, including retired senior military officers and the Northern Elders Forum, have thrown their weight behind former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor (retd), who is calling for a state of emergency to tackle Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.

In his new book, Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum, Irabor argued that Nigeria’s war against insurgency has been crippled by weak political will. He insisted that only a legislatively backed emergency declaration could rally the nation’s economic, political, diplomatic, and military resources to defeat Boko Haram.

Irabor, who served as CDS under the Buhari administration, stressed that tactical military gains would remain meaningless without strong strategic direction.

His intervention comes as Boko Haram ramps up attacks in Borno State. Last week, the insurgents seized the border town of Kirawa, torching a military barracks, homes, and the palace of the local district head. Over 5,000 residents fled into Cameroon. The militants also killed four soldiers in an assault on an army base, while a coordinated attack on Banki was repelled by joint forces.

Commenting on Irabor’s proposal, Brigadier General Peter Aro (retd) described it as “apt and informed by deep operational and strategic experience,” but warned that any state of emergency must be genuine and free of political interference.

Retired Major General Dayo Olukoju backed the idea but said it must be complemented by multilateral approaches addressing the root causes of extremism, such as identity and freedom. Col. Saka Folusho (retd) added that insecurity cannot be solved without clamping down on illegal arms trade and ensuring soldiers are well-equipped and paid.

The Northern Elders Forum reiterated its long-standing call for an emergency declaration, urging massive deployment of security personnel across crisis-prone states such as Borno, Zamfara, Niger, and Benue.

Meanwhile, alternative views have emerged. Adamawa lawmaker Kwamoti Laori argued that state policing, not emergency rule remains the only sustainable solution. He pointed to Nigeria’s 1960s-era community-based policing as proof of its effectiveness.

On the political front, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) blasted President Bola Tinubu’s administration for what it called “insensitivity” to escalating violence. In a strongly worded statement, the party accused the President of neglecting his constitutional role as Commander-in-Chief, criticising his frequent social outings amid daily killings.

The ADC highlighted recent attacks in Kwara and Kogi, the closure of over 180 schools in northern Nigeria, and mass displacements in Plateau, Zamfara, and Kaduna. It accused the government of “tragic denial of reality” and demanded urgent, transparent, and measurable security responses.

The ruling APC dismissed the criticism, saying Nigeria is progressing from “insecurity to greater security.” APC’s Bala Ibrahim insisted that recent arrests of high-profile kidnappers prove the government’s commitment, while branding the ADC “desperate” and lacking public acceptance.

For now, the Federal Government has yet to formally respond to Irabor’s call, leaving the debate over emergency powers and security reform wide open as communities in the North continue to bear the brunt of escalating insurgent violence.