By Okechukwu Nwanguma
Since 2020, the Nigerian military has been deployed in internal security operations across all 36 states and the FCT.
This level of military involvement in civil security is alarming, and it underscores a national emergency.
Nigeria is at war, but not just with internal enemies. Our porous borders have become gateways for armed non-state actors, insurgents, and criminal networks flooding in from the Sahel—a region increasingly destabilised by transnational terror groups and criminal enterprises.
The “Visa-On-Arrival” policy introduced under President Buhari, though well-intentioned, dangerously weakened our border management at a time of escalating regional instability. It must be urgently reviewed.
General Christopher Musa’s recommendations for robust border control and national security coordination are not just timely—they are essential. Nigeria cannot afford to remain the open backdoor of West Africa’s criminal corridor.
The Sahel has become an international crime scene, manipulated by shadowy interests and riddled with ungoverned spaces. Nigeria, as the region’s largest country, is suffering the consequences of this growing chaos.
From Zamfara to Benue, Plateau to Oyo, and even the FCT—what we face is not random herder-farmer clashes. This is systematic infiltration by heavily armed actors, often mischaracterised as herdsmen, but functioning as organised terror cells. These groups exploit ethnic identities and familiar disguises to move freely, destabilise communities, and erode state authority.
Let’s be clear: there are still innocent pastoralists in Nigeria, many of whom are themselves victims. But silence or complicity by those who know the killer elements among them only fuels the cycle of violence.
What must be done?
- Immediate tightening of all border entry points, with a suspension and review of the visa-on-arrival policy.
- Deployment of advanced surveillance and biometric tracking at borders and key transit routes.
- Community-based intelligence gathering to separate legitimate pastoralist populations from infiltrators.
- Diplomatic pressure and regional cooperation to address the transnational dimensions of terrorism in the Sahel.
Until we are intentional and systematic about this fight, the Nigerian military will remain overburdened, and our national survival will hang by a thread.
This is not xenophobia—it is survival. A nation must secure its borders before it can secure its people.
Mr Okechukwu Nwanguma is the Executive Director of RULAAC
