Insecurity: Situating Buratai’s ’COVID-19 Style Lockdown’ Proposal

By Louis Achi

Last week, Nigeria’s former Chief of Army Staff, and ex-Ambassador to the Republic of Benin, Lt. General Tukur Buratai (retd.), proposed the urgent adoption of strategic, intelligence-driven lockdowns as part of a new framework to counter terrorism, banditry, and other forms of violent criminality threatening national stability.

The former Army boss urged the federal government to consider a nationwide mobilisation similar to the COVID-19 lockdown to defeat terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping feeding the bloody infamy ravaging the nation.

Buratai who spoke in a candid interview with Channels Television last Friday, argued that insecurity should not be left to the military alone but treated as a national crisis requiring collective sacrifice. His words: “When there are national crises, we need to mobilise everybody, not just the military alone. Look at COVID-19 – how much was spent, how much was invested into information, communication, advertisement, palliatives, and preventive measures.

“The whole nation was locked down because of COVID-19. We can do the same thing. We can lock down this country to make sure that everybody concentrates and deals with this cankerworm of so-called terrorists and bandits.”

General Buratai further noted that before leaving office as Chief of Army Staff, he had warned that the insurgency could last longer than expected if a long-term strategy was not adopted. “Just before I left office, and immediately after I was appointed ambassador to the Republic of Benin, I sent a note of warning that this insurgency may last longer. It is not something that you just wish away. We really need to have a long-term plan.”

In summation, Buratai maintained that beyond military campaigns, citizens must be mobilised “psychologically, through social media, press, and community support” to overcome what he described as the “so-called terrorists and bandits.” Understandably, Buratai’s position has provoked considerable debate among various stakeholders.

The battle-scarred General’s novel proposition provides a new discursive lens to stimulate new modes of analysis on effective strategies to cage violent extremism. His unconventional position fundamentally represents a concept note that should transition to a detailed, actionable engagement strategy for the federal government to fast-track a valid response leading to the erasure of the reign of bloody infamy and destructive erosion of Nigeria’s sovereignty.

This quirky scenario has perhaps understandably eroded public trust in state authority and demands an urgent, coordinated, effective, disruptive strategy that can destroy criminal networks – simultaneously safeguarding civilian lives. There is more.

It is beyond dispute that Nigeria currently faces an overlapping mosaic of extreme, regressive violence. These include Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgency in the Northeast; banditry, mass kidnappings, and illegal mining in the Northwest; farmer–herder clashes and communal violence in the North Central; separatist-linked attacks in the Southeast; oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and cult-related violence in the South-South; and rising cases of kidnappings and armed robbery in the Southwest.

But first, to highlight the urgency of Buratai’s proposal, it would be germane to provide some context in terms of very recent informed positions on caging insecurity in Nigeria and Africa at large. Just this week, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, called on African defence leaders to take decisive ownership of the continent’s security challenges during her address at the inaugural African Chiefs of Defence Forum in Abuja on Monday.

Mohammed, a former Nigerian Minister of Environment, accurately painted a stark picture of Africa’s security landscape, stating, “The continent accounts for the majority of global terrorism deaths, with attacks in West Africa’s coastal states surging by 250% in just two years. In the Sahel, 14,000 schools were shuttered by conflict last year, threatening an entire generation’s future.”

Lansana Kouyaté, former Prime Minister of Guinea, who proposed innovative security financing through public-private partnerships during the forum, echoed Mohammed’s call for collective action, stating, “This historic gathering of defence chiefs from all 54 African nations underscores that without peace, there is no development.”

While speaking at the 50th anniversary dinner of the Nigerian Defence Academy’s 18th Regular Course in Abuja last month, the National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, revealed that over 47,000 lives were lost to insecurity in northern Nigeria before President Bola Tinubu took office in May 2023. He stated that the country was on the brink of collapse at the time, grappling with multiple crises that threatened its cohesion and survival.

He said, “The security landscape we inherited as a government in 2023 was a sobering reality. It was threatening the very cohesion, stability, and integrity of our Nigerian state. We inherited five intractable security challenges that had brought our nation to the brink.” These include Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East, banditry in the North-West and North-Central, separatist agitations in the South-East, economic sabotage in the Niger Delta, and communal conflicts in states like Benue and Plateau.

The NSA went on to paint a positive, if not outright rosy picture of the security situation under his principal, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Although it could not be denied that nine efforts are being made by the current administration to reinstate widespread infamy, Nigeria is far from the safe, progressive haven its citizens are entitled to.

On his part, former Minister of Aviation Osita Chidoka recently weighed in on the ravaging insecurity, claiming that Nigeria’s situation is even more dire than that of countries embroiled in war. Chidoka expressed deep concern over the rampant insecurity, widespread hunger, and severe economic struggles plaguing the nation, emphasizing that citizens are enduring daily hardships as if the country is under siege. He cautioned that if immediate action isn’t taken, Nigeria could face total collapse.

General Buratai’s proposal, not surprisingly, spawned several responses from different concerned stakeholders. The most notable and informed reaction perhaps, is that from the Crest Research and Development Institute (CRADI) and authored by conflict and security expert, Isa Mohammed.

CRADI had responded by convening a Policy Lab under its Co-Creation and Innovation Lab (CCIL), bringing together security practitioners, conflict analysts, governance experts, humanitarian actors, and community stakeholders.

The Lab drew lessons from Nigeria’s COVID-19 lockdown, at the core of Baratai’s proposal which, despite its economic costs, succeeded in reducing certain forms of crime and giving security forces a clearer view of population movements. Participants agreed that lockdowns can be effective, but only if targeted, intelligence-driven, and sensitive to humanitarian needs.

According to CRADI’s Isa Mohammed, “Conventional military campaigns alone cannot address these overlapping threats. Strategic lockdowns, when carefully designed, can restrict terrorist mobility, cut off supply lines, and create the operational space for intelligence-led security operations.”

The body strongly cautioned against a nationwide shutdown, arguing it would cripple livelihoods without delivering sustainable security. Instead, CRADI recommended zonal lockdowns tailored to local dynamics:

Northeast: Seal borders with Niger, Chad, and Cameroon; enforce curfews around the Lake Chad Basin and Mandara Mountains; Northwest: Impose lockdowns in forest belts such as Rugu, Kamuku, and Birnin Gwari; ban illegal mining; restrict rural mobility; North Central: Enforce lockdowns in conflict flashpoints; secure farmlands with patrols; regulate grazing routes to reduce clashes; and Southeast: Introduce night curfews; restrict unauthorized assemblies; secure major highways against attacks.

For South-South C, RADI recommended the implementation of surveillance lockdowns along pipeline corridors and waterways to combat oil theft and cult-related violence; and Southwest: Apply tactical restrictions in forest reserves, especially the Ondo–Ogun axis, which has become a haven for kidnappers.

Strategy and security are core elements for achieving sustainable peace, especially for a developing country like Nigeria. Cut to the bone, when security is absent, it validly suggests the strategies adopted are faulty and need to be reviewed. As Nigerians seek to achieve sustainable growth and development, the citizens must have the requisite state of freedom and peace, amongst others, to lead meaningful and productive lives.

CRADI’s Mohammed succinctly cut to the heart of the debate when he asserted that, “General Buratai’s call for a strategic lockdown is an urgent reminder that Nigeria must rethink its approach to insecurity. If implemented with strong oversight, humanitarian sensitivity, and clear timelines, strategic lockdowns can help restore state authority, protect vulnerable communities, and lay the foundation for peacebuilding and long-term stability.”

The foregoing scenario can fundamentally validate General Buratai’s proposition to the federal government, especially when international partners such as the United Nations, African Union, and ECOWAS play an imperative role as potential providers of technical and logistical support.

Simon Ekpa: Guilty as Charged

By Citizen Bolaji O. Akinyemi

The gavel has fallen twice—once in Canada and once in Finland—reminding us that justice, even if uneven, still speaks across borders.

In Canada, the Immigration Appeal Division, ruling on the case of Douglas Egharevba, held that membership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was enough to make him inadmissible into the country. The reason? Reasonable grounds existed to believe that the party, by systemic violence and subversion of democratic institutions, had crossed the line of civility. While no formal proscription of PDP—or its rival All Progressives Congress (APC)—was pronounced under Canadian law, the implication was stark: association with Nigeria’s dominant parties carried the stain of complicity in violence. For a court to so hold, without proof of personal wrongdoing, is a loud global indictment.

Across Europe, in Finland, the hammer struck even harder. The Päijät-Häme District Court convicted Simon Ekpa, the self-proclaimed Prime Minister of the so-called Biafra Government-in-Exile, of terrorism-related offences. His crimes included incitement to terrorism, participation in a terrorist organisation, and facilitation of arms and explosives. The judgment was not symbolic—it carried a six-year prison sentence. No ambiguity. No immigration technicalities. Ekpa, guilty as charged.

Placed side by side, these two pronouncements point us to one undeniable truth: while the right of any nation or people, including the Igbo, to seek self-determination is legitimate under international law, the world frowns heavily at violent options. Violence is the fast track to global isolation. IPOB, long caught between agitation and armed provocation, now stands at a crossroads. Reinvent themselves in line with non-violence, or forfeit the global sympathy needed to advance the cause of Biafra.

But the other side of this coin cannot be ignored. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. If the Nigerian state applauds the Finnish court for sentencing Simon Ekpa, then it cannot dismiss the Canadian court’s ruling on the violent character of its two dominant parties, APC and PDP. One cannot cherry-pick justice abroad. To do so is hypocrisy of the highest order.

This brings us home to the institutional failure of INEC, the body saddled with the regulation of political parties. If foreign courts are raising questions about the violent DNA of our parties, what has INEC done to sanitize the space? The answer is simple—nothing. Violence, thuggery, ballot snatching, vote-buying—these have become the enduring currencies of our elections, tolerated and normalized by a commission that should be an umpire but acts as an enabler.

The judgments in Canada and Finland should be a mirror for us. They expose the shame we bury under propaganda. They call us out on the violence that has become the language of politics and agitation in Nigeria. They remind us that while democracy allows the pursuit of power and even self-determination, the path of violence discredits both the parties in government and the movements seeking freedom.

APC, PDP, Simon Ekpa: guilty as charged. Different courts, different contexts, same verdict. Nigeria must now decide—shall we continue to export political violence as our most reliable product, or shall we embrace the hard but honourable work of building a nation where justice, fairness, and non-violence underpin our politics?

The world is watching and history beckons!

Dr. Bolaji O. Akinyemi is an Apostle and Nation Builder. He’s also President of Voice of His Word Ministries and Convener of the Apostolic Round Table. BoT Chairman, Project Victory Call Initiative, AKA PVC Naija. He is a strategic Communicator and the CEO, Masterbuilder Communications.

Email:[email protected]

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Nigerian Businessman Oluwasegun Elusoji Denies Fraud Allegations, Insists He Is Not a Fugitive

Lagos, Nigeria — The legal representatives of a U.S.-based Nigerian Information Security Engineer, Mr. Oluwasegun Rolland Elusoji, have issued a strong rebuttal to recent police publications declaring him wanted over allegations of fraud amounting to over ₦1.2 billion.

In official rejoinders published in The Punch and The Nation newspapers on Friday, August 29, 2025, his lawyers, W.K. Shittu (SAN) & Co., described the police notice as “false, misleading, injurious to reputation, and issued in disregard of ongoing legal proceedings both in Nigeria and the United States.”

According to court documents attached by his lawyers, the case is already before the District Court of Montgomery County, Texas, in Case No. 24-06-0979, where the same allegations of conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretenses are currently being litigated.

His legal team emphasized that this fact was deliberately ignored in the Nigerian police bulletin, which portrayed him as a fugitive on the run. “Our client is not evading justice; rather, he is actively defending himself before competent courts in the United States of America and has also initiated proceedings in Nigeria to clear his name,” the statement reads.

His lawyers confirmed that petitions dated March 28, 2025, and April 22, 2025, had been filed against the Commissioner of Police, Special Fraud Unit, Lagos, and others involved, before the Lagos High Court of Lagos in Suit No: ID/1953/MFR/2025.

Similarly, petitions were sent to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), EFCC/PET/HQR/1656/202,5, against those allegedly orchestrating the campaign to brand him a criminal, with acknowledgment copies attached as proof.

In a sworn affidavit filed in the State of Illinois, U.S.A., Mr. Elusoji declared:

• He resides at 9997 S Whimbrel Cir, Conroe, Texas, and is not in hiding.
• He is a law-abiding citizen, employed as an Information Security Engineer in the U.S.
• He is fully cooperating with investigations in both countries.
• He has engaged the services of W.K. Shittu SAN to pursue justice in Nigerian courts.

The affidavit further states: “I am not on the run from justice. The publication declaring me wanted is injurious to my reputation and ought to be withdrawn.”

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Wahab Shittu SAN, who leads the defense team, argued that the police’s publication amounts to a media trial and undermines the principles of due process. He urged the authorities to withdraw the notice pending the conclusion of ongoing court proceedings.

“The rule of law requires that justice must take its full course in both Nigeria and the United States. Our client is entitled to equal access to justice without discrimination or defamation,” Shittu added.

Mr. Elusoji’s lawyers insist their client has committed no wrongdoing and remains committed to clearing his name through lawful means. They called on the Nigerian Police and media outlets to refrain from further publications that could prejudice ongoing judicial processes or tarnish his reputation.