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Nigeria’s Misplaced Priorities: Why Deploying Troops to Benin Republic Instead of the North Underscores a Dangerous Security Blindspot

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Nigeria’s Misplaced Priorities: Why Deploying Troops to Benin Republic Instead of the North Underscores a Dangerous Security Blindspot
By Ifeanyi Obinali

 

As the dust settles from last weekend’s failed coup in Benin Republic, and the Nigerian Senate’s recent approval of troops deployment to assist the Beninese government, many Nigerians are asking: Was this really the right call — especially given the worsening security disaster back home?
On December 7, 2025, the government of Benin requested military intervention after mutinying soldiers attempted to overthrow their president. Responding swiftly, President Bola Tinubu ordered the mobilization of Nigerian fighter jets and ground troops to help restore constitutional order in the neighboring country. Reports say the intervention succeeded: airstrikes and ground forces helped quash the coup attempt. This indeed is a bold gesture to a neighbor, but at what domestic cost?
In the eyes of many observers including Nigeria’s leaders, this demonstrates solidarity with a neighbor and reaffirms Nigeria’s role as a stabilizer in the region. President Tinubu framed the move as an affirmation of shared democratic values under ECOWAS. But for many Nigerians who face daily threats from kidnappings, banditry and village massacres, the spectacle of foreign intervention feels dangerously disconnected from the urgent reality of life in the country, especially Nigeria’s north.

 

The northern crisis is now more than a security challenge but a humanitarian disaster. Over the last decade, large parts of northern Nigeria especially the northwest and north-central zones have been ravaged by violence: kidnappings, bandit raids, mass abductions of schoolchildren, attacks on villages and farms, and deadly raids on houses of worship.

 

Today, killings, kidnappings, and violent raids by so-called bandit gangs” are everyday realities of citizens in Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina and Niger. It is a shame and sad to note that 15 years after Chibok, we are still dealing with the same challenges that led to school students in Kebbi and Niger facing the same inhumane situation that they will never recover from. The worst part remains that the posture of the government still does not prove its readiness to deal with this issue decisively. How can someone order the removal of military officers and security men protecting the school in Kebbi mere hours before the bandits attacked, killed the principal and kidnapped the students, yet Nigerians still do not officially know the name of that specific individual who gave the order of removal, and worst still that person is not in custody yet – a stark manifestation of how entrenched in the system the insecurity has become, especially because it’s unusual for military movements to occur without clear authorization, especially in high-risk areas.

 

These attacks do more than just endanger lives: they destroy communities, displace families, force farmers off their land, and worsen poverty and hunger, a reality already highlighted in recent food-insecurity projections.

 

 

As with every sovereign nation, the government’s number one responsibility is to ensure security and the protection of the lives of every citizen. When the government commits troops abroad, especially in a reactive operation, it sends a message about what it sees as its priorities. Deploying personnel to Benin may shore up regional influence, but it comes at a cost: the very real and growing insecurity at home and the millions of naira that could have been invested in the fight against insecurity.
Given the scale of terror, banditry, and kidnapping in the north, diverting troops and military assets to another country is a miscalculation. Just the way our troops were guns-blazing to Cotonou, they could have done the same in response to the insecurity in the north, at a time when many citizens believed they most needed protection.
What message does this send to a family in, say, Katsina or Zamfara, whose village was raided last week, whose children were snatched, whose farm is burning when military jets are flying to foreign capitals instead of guarding their schools or farmland?

 

Beyond optics, our government’s focus should be internal, because the human cost of insecurity in the country is huge and rapidly rising. The numbers of attacks, abductions, and killings in the north have soared over the last decade. For thousands of families, insecurity is no longer abstract, but a daily terror. Citizens expect their government to guard their safety, safeguard their children’s education, and protect their land. When security appears selectively deployed abroad while domestic threats rage, public trust erodes.

 

There is no doubt that regional instability threatens all West African nations, and that solidarity among neighbors is sometimes necessary. But for a country still grappling with rampant kidnappings, banditry, and deadly attacks across its own territory inside which lives, livelihoods, and futures hang in the balance, stability at home must come first.

 

Nigerians cannot continue to remain vulnerable, their lands insecure, and their families unprotected, while foreign capitals enjoy the protection of Nigerian jets and troops. The government must before any foreign adventures, deploy the full force of its security apparatus to where it is most needed: at home in the Northeast, Northwest and North Central in particular, and Nigeria in general.

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Rt Hon Treasure Edwin Inyang Appointed Secretary General to the Government of UKA (Worldwide)

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Rt Hon Treasure Edwin Inyang Appointed Secretary General to the Government of UKA (Worldwide)*

Rt Hon Treasure Edwin Inyang Appointed Secretary General to the Government of UKA (Worldwide)*

 

January 29, 2026 – A prestigious appointment has been announced in the reign of Emperor Solomon Wining 1st, recognizing Rt Hon Treasure Edwin Inyang as the *Secretary General to the Government of UKA (Worldwide)*. The official certificate, designated STE.001-1 E, was presented to Rt Hon Inyang during a ceremonial investiture.

 

As Secretary General, Rt Hon Treasure Edwin Inyang will *monitor and coordinate* the implementation of government policies and programmes, serve as an advisory institution to the Government, drive policy formulation, harmonization, and implementation, and oversee the activities of ministries, agencies, and departments.

 

The appointment was proclaimed by *Emperor Prof. Dr. Solomon Wining*, Emperor of the United Kingdom of Atlantics and Empire Worldwide, and co-signed by *Empress Prof. Dr. Sriwan Kingjun*, Empress of Attica Empire, under the auspices of the 5 Billions Humanitarian Projects Incorporated.

 

The ceremony underscores the commitment to strengthening governance and humanitarian initiatives within the UKA (Worldwide) jurisdiction, effective immediately in the reign of Emperor Solomon Wining 1st.

Rt Hon Treasure Edwin Inyang Appointed Secretary General to the Government of UKA (Worldwide)*

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GENERAL BULAMA BIU MOURNS BOKO HARAM VICTIMS, CALLS FOR UNITY AND RENEWED EFFORTS FOR PEACE

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GENERAL BULAMA BIU MOURNS BOKO HARAM VICTIMS, CALLS FOR UNITY AND RENEWED EFFORTS FOR PEACE

 

In a solemn message of condolence and resolve, Major General Abdulmalik Bulama Biu mni (Rtd), the Sarkin Yakin of Biu Emirate, has expressed profound grief over a recent deadly attack by Boko Haram insurgents on citizens at a work site. The attack, which resulted in the loss of innocent lives, has been condemned as a senseless and barbaric act of inhumanity.

 

The revered traditional and military leader extended his heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved families, the entire people of Biu Emirate, Borno State, and all patriotic Nigerians affected by the tragedy. He described the victims as “innocent, peaceful, hardworking and committed citizens,” whose lives were tragically cut short.

 

General Biu lamented that the assault represents “one too many” such ruthless attacks, occurring at a time when communities are already engaged in immense personal and collective sacrifices to support government efforts in rebuilding devastated infrastructure and restoring hope.

 

In his statement, he offered prayers for the departed, saying, “May Almighty Allah forgive their souls and grant them Aljannan Firdaus.” He further urged the living to be encouraged by and uphold the spirit of sacrifice demonstrated by the victims.

 

Emphasizing the need for collective action, the retired Major General called on all citizens to redouble their efforts in building a virile community that future generations can be proud of. He specifically commended the “silent efforts” of some patriotic leaders working behind the scenes to end the security menace and encouraged all well-meaning Nigerians to join the cause for a better society.

 

“Together we can surmount the troubles,” he asserted, concluding with a prayer for divine intervention: “May Allah guide and protect us, free us from this terrible situation and restore an enduring peace, security, unity and prosperity. Amin.”

 

The statement serves as both a poignant tribute to the fallen and a clarion call for national solidarity in the face of persistent security challenges.

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When a Nation Outgrows Its Care

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When a Nation Outgrows Its Care.

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

“Population Pressure, Poverty and the Politics of Responsibility.”

Nigeria is not merely growing. It is swelling and faster than its institutions, faster than its conscience and far faster than its capacity to care for those it produces. In a world already straining under inequality, climate stress and fragile governance, Nigeria has become a living paradox: immense human potential multiplied without the social, economic or political scaffolding required to sustain it.

This is not a demographic miracle. It is a governance failure colliding with cultural denial.

Across the globe, societies facing economic hardship typically respond by slowing population growth through education, access to healthcare and deliberate family planning. Nigeria, by contrast, expands relentlessly, even as schools decay, hospitals collapse, power grids fail and public trust erodes. The contradiction is jarring: a country that struggles to FEED, EDUCATE and EMPLOY its people continues to produce more lives than it can dignify.

And when the inevitable consequences arrive (unemployment, crime, desperation, migration) the blame is conveniently outsourced to government alone, as though citizens bear no agency, no RESPONSIBILITY, no ROLE in shaping their collective destiny.

This evasion is at the heart of Nigeria’s crisis.

The political economist Amartya Sen has long said that development is not merely about economic growth but about expanding human capabilities. Nigeria does the opposite. It multiplies human beings while shrinking the space in which they can thrive. The result is a society where life is abundant but opportunity is scarce, where children are born into structural neglect rather than possibility.

Governments matter. Bad governments destroy nations. Though no government, however competent, can sustainably provide for a population expanding without restraint in an environment devoid of planning, infrastructure and accountability.

This is where the conversation becomes uncomfortable and therefore necessary.

For decades, Nigerian leaders have failed spectacularly. Public education has been HOLLOWED out. Healthcare has become a LUXURY. Electricity remains UNRELIABLE. Social safety nets are virtually NONEXISTENT. Public funds vanish into PRIVATE POCKETS with brazen regularity. These are not disputed facts; they are lived realities acknowledged by development agencies, scholars and ordinary citizens alike.

Yet amid this collapse, REPRODUCTION continues unchecked, often CELEBRATED rather than QUESTIONED. Large families persist not as a strategy of hope but as a cultural reflex, untouched by economic logic or future consequence. Children are brought into circumstances where hunger is normalized, schooling is uncertain and survival is a daily contest.

The philosopher Hannah Arendt warned that irresponsibility flourishes where accountability is diffused. In Nigeria, responsibility has become a political orphan. The state blames history, colonialism or global systems. Citizens blame the state. Meanwhile, children inherit the cost of this mutual abdication.

International development scholars consistently emphasize that education (especially of girls) correlates strongly with smaller, healthier families and better economic outcomes. Nigeria has ignored this lesson at scale. Where education is weak, fertility remains high. Where healthcare is absent, birth becomes both risk and ritual. Where women lack autonomy, choice disappears.

This is not destiny. It is policy failure reinforced by social silence.

Religious and cultural institutions, which wield enormous influence, have largely avoided confronting the economic implications of unchecked population growth. Instead, they often frame reproduction as a moral absolute divorced from material reality. The result is a dangerous romanticism that sanctifies birth while neglecting life after birth.

The Kenyan scholar Ali Mazrui once observed that Africa’s tragedy is not lack of resources but lack of responsibility in managing abundance. Nigeria exemplifies this truth painfully. Rich in land, talent and natural wealth, the country behaves as though human life is an infinite resource requiring no investment beyond conception.

This mindset is unsustainable.

Around the world, nations that escaped mass poverty did so by aligning population growth with state capacity. They invested in people before multiplying them. They built systems before expanding demand. They treated citizens not as numbers but as future contributors whose welfare was essential to national survival.

Nigeria has inverted this logic. It produces demand without supply, citizens without systems, lives without ladders.

To say this is not to absolve government. It is to indict both leadership and followership in equal measure. Governance is not a one-way transaction. A society that demands accountability must also practice responsibility. Family planning is not a foreign conspiracy. It is a survival strategy. Reproductive choice is not moral decay. It is economic realism.

The Nigerian sociologist Adebayo Olukoshi has argued that development fails where political elites and social norms reinforce each other’s worst tendencies. In Nigeria, elite corruption meets popular denial, and the outcome is demographic pressure without developmental intent.

This pressure manifests everywhere: overcrowded classrooms, collapsing cities, rising youth unemployment and a mass exodus of talent seeking dignity elsewhere. Migration is not a dream; it is an indictment. People leave not because they hate their country, but because their country has failed to imagine a future with them in it.

And still, the cycle continues.

At some point, honesty must replace sentiment. A nation cannot endlessly reproduce its way out of poverty. Children are not economic policy. Birth is not development. Hope without planning is cruelty.

True patriotism requires difficult conversations. It demands confronting cultural habits that no longer serve collective survival. It insists on shared responsibility between state and citizen. It recognizes that bringing life into the world carries obligations that extend far beyond celebration.

Nigeria does not lack people. It lacks care, coordination and courage. The courage to align birth with dignity, growth with governance and culture with reality.

Until that reckoning occurs, complaints will continue, governments will rotate and generations will be born into a system that apologizes for its failures while reproducing them.

A nation that refuses to plan its future cannot complain when the future overwhelms it.

 

When a Nation Outgrows Its Care.
By George Omagbemi Sylvester

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