IGP Egbetokun Needs Effective Policing As Enduring Legacy

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August 22, 2025
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By Mobolaji Sanusi

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.”—Martin Luther King Jr.

For some time now, the piteous plight of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) personnel has consistently been perturbing to the sight. This is coupled with the high expectations from an unyielding public despite glaring official underfunding that make police personnel situation precarious. The untidy daily sights of policemen on our roads in rickety vehicles adorned in not-too-neat uniforms and weather-battered booths; observed constraints in the discharge of their duties during occasional visits to police stations in my line of duty coupled with the sometimes random discussions with cops during chanced meetings and at checkpoints on their debilitating plights could be mindboggling. These problems are largely caused by institutional corruption and official neglect that made right thinking people shudder about whether or when this country would get the issue of policing right.

Some have argued that until police affairs are decentralized or better put, state police is adopted, the avoidable plight of the police as an institution would continue. While this position cannot be completely ignored, the truth is that sociologically speaking, a society is a reflection of its institutions.

A rotten society begets rotten institutions. But however bad a society is, certain institutions of state must be accorded a pride of place in terms of deliberate engendering of proper psycho-social attitudes, well-guarded rules of engagement and provision of attractive conditions of service and necessary working tools. Are these currently obtainable in the police force?

The answer to above may not likely be affirmative, and this is a consequence of decades of police leadership complacency and lack of desirable verve to attempt a change of the shameful status quo ante. I used the words police leadership, advisedly because it is at that level that a workable roadmap can be drafted and presented to whoever is leading the country at any point in time.

More importantly so is the fact that whoever had served as IGP or is currently serving as IGP is believed to be repository of major problems and challenges of the police as an institution and are expected to at least solve part, if not all the problems while in the saddle, no matter how short the tenure might be.

Sadly, what the Nigerian state has witnessed in relation to police leadership is: “Take your turn to be IGP, enjoy the perquisites of the position and leave the recurring questions begging for answers for your successors to handle.” This surrendering approach in police leadership attitude is seriously faulty, affecting the efficacy and general wellbeing of the Nigeria Police Force that is blessed with competent officers and men who have always made the country proud while posted on international assignments. This is notwithstanding the despicable few bad eggs in the force and the puritanical killing systems in place across the country.

Recently, IGP Kayode Egbetokun came up with an initiative that is not completely new or bad, but like most lawful domestic initiatives, its online processing implementation platform is somewhat complicated. What is meant to ease its processing has become the bane making life unbearable for permit seekers willing to pay the exorbitant official fee of about N16,000. Complaints of payment of higher fees to third parties to gain online access rent the air and may persist despite the rescheduled deadline to October 1, 2025. To avoid this processing extortion, many believe that the police should have liaised with states licensing authorities for ease of operation. Also, many harbour the belief that the high fees demanded at this point in time is akin to according priority to revenue generation over police duty and convenience of permit seekers. Many also think that other important challenges for smooth policing should be accorded priority by the current police leadership under Egbetokun.

It won’t be out of place at this juncture to ask what significant problems of the force the current IGP Kayode Egbetokun, Ph.D., is solving or will solve before the end of his tenure? One germane thing also is that he urgently needs to make serious efforts to significantly reposition the police force since he has the ears of our hardworking president to his advantage.

IGP Egbetokun undoubtedly possesses what it takes to be the number one cop of not only Nigeria but any other country of the world. He has good education with requisite experience and exposure. He has paid his dues from when he joined the force as a commissioned officer in the early nineties till when he was appointed, initially in acting capacity, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR

Egbetokun is obviously not new to the president, having worked closely as his Chief Security Officer when he was governor while the current Kabiyesi Oniru, Oba Omogbolahan Lawal, took over the role of ADC from now AIG Tunji Disu, the erstwhile CP, FCT Command.

Asiwaju as governor of Lagos State did not take issues of security and policing with levity. Despite the constitutional limitation of police matters being outside the purview of states across the federation, the president as Lagos governor creatively established the model Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) and improvised the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), through which corporate entities in the centre of excellence complement government’s policing efforts at making Lagos safe for all to live in.

Till date, LSSTF and RRS still exist, surviving through former governors Babatunde Raji Fashola, Akinwunmi Ambode, and now under incumbent Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Through the LSSTF and RRS, the shortfalls in the federal government’s handling of police affairs were to a satisfactory level taken care of by the state government under Asiwaju. That is the institutional building that Asiwaju created, which has become a model for other states across the country to emulate.

Without this kind of initiative, it won’t be hyperbolic to say that policing in Lagos and possibly across the country would have existed only in name. The tales of operational and welfare woes faced by Divisional Police Officers (DPOs), Area Commanders and even states’ Commissioners of Police in the discharge of their lawful duties of maintaining societal peace and order are not things that could be put in print for fear of publishing inciting information against the government.

These challenges have been on for decades, but with the leadership ingenuity of Asiwaju as Lagos henchman, the bad policing situation was put under manageable control. IGP Egbetokun was in the know of all that Asiwaju did at that time. But what is he doing about the serious police underfunding and the need to improve on the not so encouraging policing operational cum welfare situations in the country?

Most people accustomed to the Lagos model under Asiwaju celebrated the appointment of Egbetokun as police IG. But are Nigerians having a feel of the experience that he garnered while working with the ingenious Asiwaju as governor of Lagos State?

Egbetokun’s name in contemporary Nigeria is synonymous with policing and there’s no way he could shy away from the discouraging state of policing and police personnel welfare in the country. And so far, can it be said that he is doing enough to alleviate the general wellbeing of policemen in the country? The deep-rooted rot he met on the ground ravaging the force needs a bold institutional leadership approach to combat.

For example, the Nigeria Police Force, as at 2021, from Google search, had a staff strength of about 371,800. It is doubtful if the plans to increase the force to 650,000 by adding fresh 280,000 recruits to the existing have been approved or implemented. Yet, country is grossly under-policed.

The United Nations’ standards, though not adhered to by many nations according to Google is about 230 police for every 100,000 people. The same United Nations also from the same source recommended a ratio of one policeman to 450 citizens. This looks utopian in Nigeria where the total number of police personnel is less than 400,000 despite her population of over 200million people. The Guardian newspaper also in a report earlier this year stated that police-to-citizen ratio in Nigeria stands at 1:650. Viewed from whatever prisms, the picture looks grim.

More sadly is the fact that a significant number of these inadequate policemen are being consistently deployed as personal escorts/guards to powerful politicians, wealthy, and other money-miss-road individuals. Most of the Nigerian individuals enjoying police protections do not deserve such protections and are largely one of the major reasons why true policing of the society might continue to encounter hiccups.

Why should primacy be accorded, on cash and carry basis, to individual citizens at the expense of Nigeria’s collective security?

Also sickening is that the attached policemen to these individuals are even more loyal to them than to the country. IGP Egbetokun once recalled these misused policemen attached to individuals at the expense of the country’s general policing’s well-being. But within days, he recanted on his directive. The true reason for his less than courageous recant may come out one day in probably his autobiography after leaving office.

IGP Egbetokun needs to unravel why officers and men of the force jostle for deployment to guard individuals, and not the country. Again, figures on Google confirm that the highest monthly salary for a policeman in Nigeria is N309,167; while the lowest monthly salary stands at N105,833. These figures are disgusting and disturbingly low when juxtaposed with other variables.

For instance, the revelations from Mr. Fatai Owoseni, a retired commissioner of police in Lagos State, in a recent viral social media interview, is grippingly annoying on what the ideal police was but has since been institutionally destroyed.

As against what is obtainable in years past when government provided free operational tools and personnel policing necessaries, Owoseni revealed, amongst other scathing details that today, it is from the pittance called salary that policemen are expected to procure their uniforms, booths and other necessaries.

In addition to this, necessary equipment and incentives for the force are either not available and where available, they are hoarded or only made available for use by the highest bidder amongst privileged Nigerians. No wonder we do read news stories of policemen planning to go on strike. Something that should ordinarily be deemed as a taboo for such an institution.

With this kind of contemptuous treatment meted out to policemen, there’s no way they can effectively be providers of peace and order in the society because the urge for personal survival in a biting economy will instinctively come first in their priority lists. How then won’t there be trust issues between the force and the public?

Yours sincerely can affirm, without equivocation, that a largely denied police force would be nothing but an enclave of corruption and haven for abuse of cherished inalienable rights of the people. Such police force, as currently kept and grossly underfunded in the country, cannot be relied upon to effectively combat insecurity and other criminal activities.

These policemen, mostly found wanting in the proper discharge of their duties, cannot sadly be completely blamed for their despicable laxity in battling security challenges, including terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and other forms of violent crimes.

Having gone this far, it is pertinent to say that the IGP needs to do something fast by quickly articulating an empirical route to be handed over to the president, to resolve part, if not to substantively resolve problems impeding the growth of the police as an institution for maintaining peace and order.

IGP Egbetokun should not see this as an Herculean task since he was appointed by President Tinubu to put the force on the right footing and not to give excuses like his predecessors in office. The recent inexorable plummeting of police public image, though not solely caused by Egbetokun, should be frontally addressed because the buck stops on his table. After all, uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.

He still has about two years, due to his rare service extension before his retirement, and it’s necessary to ask him what the defining thrust of his tenure as IGP is. We do know that he’ll never be in want again in his life; his name is already in the nation’s history book as having been privileged to attain the enviable heights of Nigeria’s number one cop.

Beyond these ephemeral personal achievements, the most important to reasonable Nigerians is to know what the enduring legacy Egbetokun is planning to bequeath to Nigerians and the police force are.

At the moment, the state of affairs of the police has not improved in terms of welfare, operations, logistics and importantly attitude wise. Nigerians expect more from a man of Egbetokun’s standing. President Tinubu will be more than willing to give presidential helping hands to motivate the force in terms of improved remuneration, training, exit perquisites and adequacy of police workforce that is scandalously low at the moment.

Does the IGP believe a poorly paid policeman can be a pride to his leadership, not to talk of being to their country? His letter to the Senate President Godswill Akpabio, requesting an expedited amendment to the pension law to exclude the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) from the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) is belated but commendable. He obviously needs to do more tangible initiatives.

In contemporary Nigeria, if judicial officers are getting improved welfare packages, neglecting policemen perquisites of office is like putting a horse on fire, security wise. The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMFC) in its ongoing attempt to review the salaries of political leaders/appointees must look into police force perquisites as a matter of urgency.

The police also needs complete attitudinal reawakening and sense of inclusivity under Egbetokun like we had under Tafa Balogun when he got presidential approval under Obasanjo for the promotion of stagnated police officers and also the upgrade to officer cadre of graduates that got enlisted in to the force as recruits. To date, those who benefited from Tafa’s foresight, serving or retired, will never forget that singular act.

Egbetokun needs to let Nigerians see his truly enduring plans for uplifting the morale of policemen and for boosting police operational efficiency and welfare needs…..No more, no less!

•Sanusi, former MD/CEO of LASAA, is a managerial psychologist and currently the managing partner of AMS RELIABLE SOLICITORS.

The post IGP Egbetokun Needs Effective Policing As Enduring Legacy appeared first on THISDAYLIVE.

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Jonathan: I Thought Buhari Would End Boko Haram Since They Once Chose Him as Negotiator

*Reveals Chibok girls’ abduction permanent scar on his administration

*Shehu Garba faults former president, declares terrorist group never nominated Buhari as mediator
*Tells Jonathan to look for a better story to tell Nigerians in his bid to return as president in 2027
*Tinubu reiterates commitment to tackle insecurity

Deji Elumoye, Alex Enumah, Linus Aleke, Boluwatife Enome and Nancy Mbamalu

Former President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday expressed surprise that his successor, late former President Muhammadu Buhari, was unable to bring the Boko Haram insurgency to an end, recalling that at the height of the conflict, the extremist group once nominated the deceased to negotiate on their behalf, a development Jonathan said had raised hopes that he would be able to resolve the crisis quickly when he assumed office.

Jonathan also admitted that the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls in Borno State in 2014 remains a permanent scar on his administration.

But in a swift reaction, former spokesperson to late Buhari, Mallam Garba Shehu, faulted the submission by Buhari’s predecessor that the deceased was nominated by Boko Haram insurgents to negotiate peace with his government.

Shehu, in a statement yesterday, described as false the position of ex-President Jonathan on his former principal, saying at no time did Boko Haram nominate Buhari as their mediator in their meeting with the federal government then

Jonathan, who made these remarks at the unveiling of the book, “Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum,” by former Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor (Rtd), in Abuja, a ceremony which turned out to be another command theater, seeking solution to the perennial insecurity that has engulfed the nation in the last 16 years.

At the event, Bola Tinubu restated that his administration would not rest until insecurity was defeated.

Also, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno and others regretted that the Boko Haram menace seems to have defied all solutions of four administrations.

Speaking at the occasion, Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, called for a whole-of-society approach to tackling Boko Haram insurgency, warning that Boko Haram cannot be defeated by military might alone.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’adu Abubakar III, weighing in on the security situation in the country urged Nigerians to live in peace, respect one another, and correct misconceptions about Islam and jihad, stressing that the term does not mean killing non-Muslims but striving to be the best in all endeavours.

Speaking further, Jonathan stressed that the late Buhari was the preferred choice of Boko Haram terrorists to negotiate with the government during his tenure as Nigeria’s President. He also noted that the issue of Boko Haram was far more complex than often presented.

He recalled that his administration established several committees to explore peaceful solutions to the Boko Haram insurgency.

“I felt it would have been easier for him, when he became President, to negotiate with them to surrender — but they persisted,” he said.

He continued: “During one of the committee sessions, Boko Haram nominated Buhari to lead their team in negotiations with the government. So I thought, if they had nominated him, then when he took over as President, it could have provided an easier path to engage them and get them to lay down their arms. But the insurgency persisted.”

Jonathan said Buhari’s inability to end the insurgency once in office demonstrated that the situation was more complicated than widely believed.

According to him, “If you conduct research and interview people, you’ll only get part of the story — not the full story of Boko Haram. I was there. Boko Haram started in 2009 when I was Vice President. I became President in 2010 and spent five years battling the insurgency until I left office. I thought that after I left, within a reasonable time, General Buhari would wipe them out. But even today, Boko Haram is still there. The issue is far more complex than it is often presented.”

Reflecting on his presidency, Jonathan said the 2014 abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls remains a permanent scar on his administration.

He expressed hope that, in the future, some leaders of the insurgent group might document their experiences — much like key figures from the Nigerian Civil War — to provide a clearer understanding of their motivations.

Jonathan explained, “One of the major scars on my government — and it will remain with me, as Bishop Kukah said, no plastic or cosmetic surgeon can remove it — is the issue of the Chibok girls. It is a scar I will die with. But perhaps, later, more details may emerge — and that too relates to Boko Haram. What did they really want? Our chairman once raised the issue when he interviewed some of them, and they offered certain perspectives. I pray that one day, some of the Boko Haram leaders may become literate enough to document what they have done, so people can truly understand their objectives. It’s similar to how participants in the Nigerian Civil War later wrote about their roles.”

He stressed the need for a different, less conventional approach to tackling the insurgency.

“It’s not a matter of a single story. As a nation, we must approach the Boko Haram problem differently. I believe one day we’ll overcome it. I want to thank General Irabor for documenting these events — I always appreciate those who write clearly about national issues.

“That way, when we write our own accounts, we can draw from such documentation. I also believe that all military officers involved in the Boko Haram crisis should share what the group truly stood for,” he said.

Jonathan also emphasised that the insurgency could not be solely attributed to poverty or hunger, pointing out that his administration had tried various strategies that failed to yield results.

He said, “If it were only about hunger — because we tried different approaches — I don’t want to sound like I’m defending my administration. History will judge that when we document our own accounts. But I believe we did our best. We set up committees and explored multiple options during the five years I was in office. I believe the late President Buhari also did his best. Now, with the Defence Minister here and the service chiefs represented, I believe the government must adopt a slightly different approach. God willing, we will be able to resolve this crisis.”

Jonathan urged the current administration to consider adopting a carrot-and-stick approach to tackle the insurgency that has lasted for over a decade.

He added, “The issue of the carrot and the stick may need to be adopted. Yes, there may be unmet needs, but if you look at the weapons they use—and assess their value—you will realise that these are not hungry people.

“Soldiers who sometimes recover these weapons can see for themselves: the insurgents often have more ammunition than our troops. So, where are these sophisticated weapons coming from? You begin to see that external hands are also involved—especially during my time as President.”

Tinubu Restates Commitment to Ending Insecurity

For his part, President Tinubu, who was the Special Guest of Honour at the book launch, told the gathering that, “we will not rest until we defeat insecurity”.

Represented by the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, the president however stressed that it would require a collective effort to root out insecurity from the country.

He commended Irabor for the quality of the book, which he said is not only historical but serves as a guide in tackling the issue of insecurity both in the present and future.

Shehu Garba Faults Jonathan

However, Garba Shehu, in a detailed response to Jonathan, stated: “We are compelled to make a response to a terrible statement made on the late president Muhammadu Buhari by his predecessor in office, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, to the effect that Boko Haram had nominated him to represent them in a dialogue with government.

“If this is a campaign statement towards his bid for the presidency in 2027, we want to say to him that “Mr. Jonathan, you are making a false start.”

“Muhammed Yusuf or Abubakar Shekau, the deceased leaders of the Boko Haram terrorist group, never nominated Muhammadu Buhari for any such role. In fact, Shekau routinely denounced and threatened Buhari, and their ideologies were in direct opposition.

“In 2014, Muhammadu Buhari escaped a bomb attack on his life by Boko Haram in Kaduna, in which his personal staff suffered various degrees of injury.

“Buhari’s campaigns focused on fighting Boko Haram and restoring security to Nigeria whenever he became president, putting him in direct opposition to the terrorist group’s leader.

“Contrary to the news making the rounds in those years that the radical Islamist extremist –Boko Haram had nominated General Muhammadu Buhari as the mediator between them and the Federal Government of Nigeria in the proposed peace talk, the retired Military General denied knowledge of his nomination.

“In a statement issued by the then National Secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Engr Buba Galadima, Buhari, the national leader of the CPC said he not aware of the appointment: “As at 10pm yesterday (Thursday) when I spoke with him, he said he has not even heard about it,” Galadima said.

“Continuing, the party secretary told reporters the “he (Buhari) said the whole thing to him, is just speculation. And since nobody has contacted him as a person for him to even know who is behind what, and what the motives of the whole exercise are, he would not speak to the press.” He revealed that Buhari, the 2011 presidential candidate of the CPC, further told him that as an elder statesman and a patriotic Nigerian, he will continue to pray until peace and tranquillity return to Nigeria.

“What led to the misleading information was that a faction of the terrorist group, possibly sponsored by Buhari’s opponents, staged a press conference in Maiduguri, Borno State, through a certain Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulaziz, who claimed to be the Boko Haram commander in charge of Southern and Northern Borno, saying that the sect would prefer the former military leader, General Muhammadu Buhari, ex-Yobe State governor and the then Senator, now late Bukar Abba Ibrahim, first Nigerian Minister of Petroleum, Shettima Ali Monguno, also late, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Insecurity in the North-East, Ambassador Gaji Gatimari, and other prominent members of the Borno Emirate to mediate between them and the federal government.

“Abdulaziz was roundly condemned by the leaders of Boko Haram who claimed that he had “no mandate of their leader, Imam Abubakar Shekau.”

“Speaking on to the issue , the then CPC national publicity secretary, Mr. Rotimi Fashekun, now late, lambasted President Goodluck Jonathan and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for latching on Buhari’s alleged nomination for political reasons.

“Fashekun described Buhari’s purported nomination as “the latest gambit in the desire of this organically corrupt PDP-led Federal Government in diverting the attention of the unsuspecting Nigerian public from the on-going massive looting of their common patrimony.”

“Fashekun also said: “Without any scintilla of equivocation, General Muhammadu Buhari has never been directly or remotely connected with any insurrection or insurgency against the Nigerian nation and her people. He remains the quintessential patriot that continues to magnetise the very best across the ethno-religious boundaries within the Nigerian nation-space.” The party chieftain accused the PDP of being responsible for the growing insecurity in the country, insisting:

“As we have stated in an earlier communication, the (PDP), as a corporate entity, is the harbinger of the insecurity travails of the Nigerian people for the sole reason of ensuring perpetuity in governance.” Fashekun listed the three categories of Boko Haram and alleged that the PDP-led government is sponsoring one of them. “From recollection of events of the last two years, there are three variants of the Boko Haram: the original Boko Haram that is at daggers drawn with the Nigerian authority for the extra-judicial killing of their leader; the criminal Boko Haram that is involved in all criminality for economic reasons and of course, the most lethal of all, the Political Boko Haram, which this PDP-led Federal Government represents.

“The President, Dr, Good-luck Jonathan, had once alerted the nation of the ubiquitous presence of Boko Haram in his government, a fact aptly amplified by his erstwhile National Security Adviser, General Andrew Azazi.” He further drew instances from the revelations made by State Security Service. “Undoubtedly, the latest revelations by the State Security Services (SSS) on the complicity of the top echelon of the PDP leadership in Boko Haram activities aptly bear testimony of the noxious subterfuge to extirpate the essence of our nationhood.”

“To win in 2027, Dr. Jonathan should look for a better story to tell Nigerians.”

CDS: To Defeat Boko Haram, Nigeria Needs Whole-of-society Approach

Speaking at the launch, Musa praised Irabor’s service and described the occasion as “significant,” coinciding with the retired general’s 60th birthday.

The CDS stressed that defeating Boko Haram required unity and deliberate national effort beyond the military.

“Boko Haram can be defeated. It is a whole-of-society approach to the solution, it is not a one-off thing. It must be deliberate. As long as we don’t love and look at ourselves as our brothers’ keepers, this cannot end. We must learn to live together as brothers and sisters and it is not magic. It must be deliberate,” he declared.

He paid tribute to his predecessor’s service and legacy. “I stand here today not only as his successor but also as one who has benefited immensely from his towering example, steady mentorship, and inspiring leadership. His footprint across our nation’s military history remains indelible, particularly in the fight against insurgency and terrorism.”

The CDS described Irabor as a “soldier’s soldier” whose courage, discipline, intellect and integrity left a lasting mark on Nigeria’s armed forces, especially in the fight against terrorism. He said, “General Lucky Irabor, our immediate past chief of defence staff, today is significant as it also marks the celebration of his 60th birthday, a milestone that not only reflects the grace of God but a lifetime of service, sacrifice and enduring patriotism. He is a soldier’s soldier, who resonates with courage, discipline, intellect and integrity.”

Musa also outlined broader security reforms, calling for stronger institutions and community participation.

“We also need to strengthen our institutions such as the judiciary to speed up bringing culprits to the book. Furthermore, the capacity of all security agents must be enhanced to ensure they play their roles professionally and diligently. The family institution is also critical, national security starts with the family as it is the unit of every society,” he explained.

He concluded by urging Nigeria to address the root causes of insecurity, such as poverty, lack of education, and unemployment. “Community engagement with the local community to build trust and help gather necessary intelligence is very necessary. Everyone has a role to play. Regional cooperation and collaboration. Lastly, we must address the root causes such as poverty, lack of education, and unemployment, and ensure citizens have a voice,” he added.

Obasanjo: After 15 Years, Boko Haram Becoming Part of Our Life

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo regretted that the Boko Haram insurgency was gradually becoming part of the daily lives and entrenched in Nigeria, warning that the country must ask itself hard questions about how it has handled the crisis over the past 15 years.

“In short, they were looking for a better life. And any other thing attached to that is a better life for them. Have we understood that? If we have, have we taken the steps that we should take?

“If we have, why we, are after 15 years, Boko Haram is now virtually becoming part of our life. Should we accept that? If we should not accept it, what should we do? How much do we know — even from the other side, and from this side?

“Have we been active enough? Have we been proactive enough? I think we have to ask ourselves the necessary questions to be able to deal with this thing that is now becoming a monster within our country,” he said.

The former President explained that his decision to write the foreword to the book was motivated by his anxiety about the insurgency and its long-term consequences for Nigeria.

Sultan of Sokoto Calls for Peaceful Co-existence

The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’adu Abubakar III, used the occasion to urge Nigerians to live in peace, respect one another, and correct misconceptions about Islam and jihad, stressing that the term does not mean killing non-Muslims but striving to be the best in all endeavours.

Speaking at the launch of the book the Sultan said: “I am very happy to be represented by the Minister of Defence, the chief celebrant whom we are all here for, and his very strong wife, the best part of him. The attendance here really shows how serious we are in overcoming the insecurity problem in this country by honouring this important book launch. I have seen so many service chiefs retired and serving, and so many others I know, all honouring the invitation. General Irabor, you are very lucky to bring this kind of crowd together.”

He explained that the presence of the military and dignitaries underscored the significance of the book and its contribution to the ongoing national discourse on peace and security.

Turning to the subject of extremism and the misuse of religion, the Sultan said there was a need to correct wrong narratives.

He stressed that extremist groups often misrepresent their ideology.

“I know they never claimed that ‘Boko is haram’. If you listen to some of their audios, which I had the privilege of hearing, they never said Western education is forbidden. Many of them went to school themselves. What they are saying is that those who have gone to school and are educated are leading bad governments. What they are really protesting is bad governance.”

The Sultan also cautioned against misconceptions about “Islamism,” noting that it is about good governance rather than seizing power.

“Islamism is not about seizing power. It is about governance. It is about what a Muslim leader should do and what he should not do. We must learn to respect one another, live with one another, and help one another. We must be our brothers’ keepers. When we understand each other, we are better equipped to live peacefully in this country,” he said.

For former NSA, Monguno, the book was very apt and should be placed in the book shelves of all institutions.

According to Monguno Nigeria has had only four years of peace and progress between 1975-1979, when the then government made conscious efforts at re-engineering the country through agriculture and other developmental projects.

He suggested that for Nigeria to regain her pride of place among the comity of nations, there was need to interrogate certain issues underpinning the foundation of the country.

The book reviewer, the Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Reverend Matthew Kukah, however, pointed out that Nigeria was not working today simply because of the 1966 military coup.

“Nigeria has refused to return to the crime scene, and when they do, they are always hesitant”, Kukah pointed out while commending Irabor for the courage in writing the book, because it dealt with issues of security, national reconciliation, political orientation, patriotism, judicial reforms, social reforms and good governance,” he added.

Kukah added that Nigeria could be at peace with one another through good governance.

The cleric faulted politicians, especially in the north, who use religion as a tool for politics.

“Nigeria is in a democracy, and there is a way that good Muslims can participate in democracy and good Christians can participate in democracy, but the idea that we want to use religion to enforce power is what Islamism is. It has become destructive to the religion itself”, he said.

The author of the book, General Irabor, stated that the book was aimed at focusing attention on credible solutions to the nation’s challenges.

“In writing it, I sought to investigate the phenomenon, to examine its roots and complexities, and to contribute my own way to find a lasting solution to this international crisis,” he added.

Irabor also urged Nigerians to recommit to building a nation anchored on justice, equity, and peace.

“For me, this book is not just a narrative. It is a call for sustainability and optimism. In the words of Nelson Mandela, I do not lose, I either win or I learn. Therefore, our national expression should be seen as wins and lessons”, he added.

Meanwhile, the Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, has said one of the most critical shortcomings in Nigeria’s approach to violent extremism was the over-reliance on militarised responses, often at the expense of addressing the deeper structural drivers of radicalisation and conflict.

He also expressed concern that, despite being the first line of defence and the most credible source of early warning systems, communities are often treated as passive recipients of security interventions rather than active partners in peacebuilding.

This disconnect, Ochogwu said, undermines the effectiveness, legitimacy, and sustainability of national and regional counter-extremism strategies.

Ochogwu, faulted this approach at the maiden National Summit on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE), organised by the Knowledge, Innovation and Resource Hub (KIRH), Development and Management Team of the Partnership Against Violent Extremism (PAVE) Network, in Abuja.

Presenting the lead paper titled “Violent Extremism as a Pan-Nigeria Threat: The Urgency of a Pan-Nigerian Approach”, Dr Ochogwu stressed that one of the most persistent challenges undermining the effectiveness of Nigeria’s response to violent extremism is the lack of strategic coordination among federal, state, and local actors.

According to him: “While each level of government plays a critical role in security and peacebuilding, their efforts are often disconnected, duplicative, or misaligned — resulting in fragmented interventions and missed opportunities for synergy.

Nigeria has witnessed a growth in the number of both statutory and non-statutory security agencies across all levels of government. Regarding statutory security agencies, overlapping responsibilities among various bodies often lead to role conflict at best, and inter-agency rivalry or clashes at worst (Ogide, 2024).

At the federal level, for instance, agencies such as the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) develop national frameworks for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE), while the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) conducts research, produces policy briefs, and develops national peace policies — all geared towards PCVE. However, these policies frequently lack clear implementation pathways at the sub-national level, leaving states and local governments without adequate guidance or resources to operationalise them.

One of the most critical shortcomings in Nigeria’s approach to violent extremism is the over-reliance on militarised responses, often at the expense of addressing the deeper structural drivers of radicalisation and conflict.”

He stated that while military operations — such as Operation Delta Safe in the Niger Delta, Operation Hadin Kai in the North-East, Operation Fasan Yamma and Thunder Strike in the North-West, Operation Udoka in the South-East, Operation Whirl Stroke and Safe Haven in the North-Central, and Operation Awatse in the South-West — have played a vital role in degrading the operational capacity of extremist groups, their dominance in national security strategy has led to a reactive, short-term focus.

This approach, he added, fails to prevent the emergence or resurgence of violent ideologies and does not adequately address the underlying grievances that fuel extremism — such as poverty and youth unemployment, political exclusion and marginalisation, weak governance and lack of public trust, human rights abuses and impunity, as well as ethno-religious tensions and identity-based discrimination.

*Reveals Chibok girls’ abduction permanent scar on his administration *Shehu Garba faults former president, declares terrorist group never nominated Buhari as mediator *Tells Jonathan to look for a better story to

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October 4, 2025
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Concerns Mount over Rising Diabetes Cases Amid Hike in Drug Prices

Sunday Ehigiator

Health experts in Nigeria have expressed concern over the surging cases of diabetes in the country, warning that soaring drug prices are putting life-saving treatment out of reach for millions of patients.
Their concerns came as a World Health Organisation (WHO) report had shown that the number of adults living with diabetes has quadrupled over the past three decades, with nearly half unable to access the medicines they need.

Once regarded as a condition of the affluent, diabetes is now increasingly common among both the rich and poor, in rural and urban areas alike, and among younger age groups.
According to Professor Zubairu Ilyasu of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, “more than 11 million Nigerians are living with diabetes, many of them undiagnosed.”
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) puts prevalence at nearly six per cent of the adult population, but doctors warn the true figure is higher because of weak surveillance.
“The numbers we are seeing are alarming,” said Dr Olufemi Fasanmade, professor of medicine and consultant endocrinologist at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

“We now diagnose patients in their thirties and forties with complications that used to appear only later in life. It reflects how lifestyle changes, urbanisation, and poor diets are fueling this epidemic.”
The WHO’s 2024 Global Diabetes Report noted that cases have quadrupled worldwide since 1990, rising from about seven per cent of adults to nearly 14 per cent in 2022.
That translates to more than 800 million people living with the condition, of whom almost 450 million remain untreated.

Nigeria, according to the WHO, is among the most vulnerable countries, with millions going without essential medicines despite rising diagnosis rates.
“Diabetes has become one of the defining health challenges of our time,” WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
“We cannot stand by while life-saving medicines remain out of reach for millions. The time for governments to act decisively is now.”

In Nigeria, however, even as awareness of the disease grows, treatment remains out of reach for many families because of the soaring cost of drugs.
Insulin, discovered more than a century ago but still the backbone of diabetes care, is priced well beyond what most households can afford. A vial costs between N7,000 and N12,000 depending on the brand and location, and many patients require two or three vials each month.

This means that a patient may need N30,000 to N35,000 monthly just to survive, in a country where the minimum wage is barely enough to feed the stomach against hunger in a month.
The newer GLP-1 receptor agonists, which regulate blood sugar and reduce complications, cost upwards of N80,000 a month, making them accessible only to the wealthy.
Speaking with THISDAY, a Lagos-based Diabetologist, Dr. Aisha Kareem, noted that, “I have patients who choose between feeding their families and buying insulin.

“Some stretch one vial for two months, taking half doses. Others simply stop treatment. By the time they come back to the clinic, they are in diabetic coma or with kidney failure. It is heartbreaking.

“Aside from the fact that major drug manufacturing companies have left the country, the mechanics of drug pricing in Nigeria exacerbate the problem. Since the country imports most of its medicines, the depreciation of the naira has pushed costs to record levels.
“Additional tariffs, logistics expenses, and pharmacy markups mean that by the time insulin reaches patients, its price is several times the original landed cost.

“Even when medicines are available in central stores, the final retail prices are often inflated by tariffs, import duties, and markups at multiple levels.”
Patients themselves describe the crisis in painful terms. A patient by the name, Chidinma Okeke, said, “I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when I was 19. My parents sell foodstuffs, and we cannot afford to buy my insulin regularly.

“Sometimes I borrow money from friends. Other times, I just pray and hope my sugar won’t go too high. It feels like my life depends on money we don’t have,” she added.
Similarly, a civil servant, James, added: “I spend more than a quarter of my salary on diabetes drugs. There are months when I skip doses because school fees and rent come first. My doctor warns me, but what choice do I have?”
Doctors warn that, beyond the high drug costs, systemic weaknesses in Nigeria’s health sector are worsening the situation.

According to the former president of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr. Francis Faduyile, “WHO’s warning should be a wake-up call for Nigeria. We are dealing with a crisis that is under-recognised. If nothing is done, diabetes will overtake infectious diseases as a leading cause of death in this country.”

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has also criticised the disparity between production costs and retail prices for diabetes medicines.

The humanitarian group says some newer GLP-1 drugs are being sold at up to 400 times their estimated manufacturing cost.

“These medicines are absolute game-changers, but they are being kept out of the hands of hundreds of millions of people in low- and middle-income countries who need them,” MSF warned in a statement.

In South Africa, MSF advocacy officer Candice Sehoma urged governments to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable. “The WHO and governments must demand that pharmaceutical corporations open their books,” she said.

“It is unacceptable that insulin, discovered more than a century ago, remains inaccessible to half the people who need it. We cannot allow monopoly pricing to dictate who lives and who dies.”

Her concerns resonate in Nigeria, where pharmacies in major cities frequently charge double the wholesale price. Doctors argue that regulatory bodies like NAFDAC and the Federal Ministry of Health must strengthen oversight to prevent profiteering.

They argue that the government must introduce targeted subsidies for insulin and essential diabetes drugs, similar to its vaccine programs.

According to Kareem, “No patient should die because of the cost of a drug discovered 100 years ago. Producing insulin locally could cut costs by 40 per cent or more.

“Relying on imports exposes us to foreign exchange shocks and high tariffs. The government must incentivise local pharmaceutical companies to produce biosimilar insulins.

“Health insurance also remains a weak link. Most Nigerians are not enrolled in the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), and even those who are find that their packages rarely cover the full cost of insulin.

“NHIA must prioritise chronic diseases. Otherwise, health insurance will remain irrelevant to millions of diabetic Nigerians.”

Kareem warns that the cost of inaction will be catastrophic. “Diabetes is already one of the leading causes of kidney failure in Nigeria, with thousands requiring dialysis each year at crippling costs.

“Amputations from poorly managed diabetes are becoming more common, and cases of blindness linked to the disease are rising. Every untreated patient is a future case of stroke, heart disease, or kidney failure.

“The economic loss to Nigeria will be staggering if we do not confront this now. And the best solution remains that, insulin and other necessary drugs needed for the care of diabetics must be manufactured locally, while also improving the health insurance net, especially for the rural dwellers.”

Sunday Ehigiator Health experts in Nigeria have expressed concern over the surging cases of diabetes in the country, warning that soaring drug prices are putting life-saving treatment out of reach

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