Retired Army General, Gen. Ishola has dismissed widespread claims that foreign mercenaries or external forces are behind the persistent wave of insecurity in Nigeria, insisting that most of the violence is perpetrated by Nigerians themselves.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television from 5:17, Gen. Ishola said it was misleading to continue blaming external actors for the country’s security challenges when evidence suggests that the attackers are homegrown.
“All these stories about some people coming from outside to attack us is a big lie,” Ishola said firmly. “We must be honest with ourselves, the people causing these problems are largely Nigerians who have chosen the path of crime and destruction.”
The retired General, who once served in the northeastern theatre of operations, noted that while there may be isolated cases of cross-border collaboration by bandits or insurgents, the scale of attacks across different regions shows deep internal complicity. According to him, the failure to confront this reality has allowed the insecurity problem to fester for years.
Gen. Ishola criticized the habit of shifting blame to neighboring countries, warning that such narratives divert attention from the urgent need to reform Nigeria’s internal security structure. He urged the government to focus more on intelligence gathering, local engagement, and addressing the social and economic conditions that fuel radicalization.
He also called for stronger collaboration between community leaders and security agencies to identify and isolate criminal elements within local communities.
“We can’t solve a problem we keep lying about,” he added. “Until we accept that these attackers are within us and deal with them decisively, insecurity will remain a national tragedy.” View, More,
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