Why Everyone Will Be Blamed for Nigeria’s insecurity – Mahdi Shehu

Public commentator Mahdi Shehu has stated that Nigeria’s worsening insecurity is not the responsibility of any single tribe or religion, but involves people from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds playing various roles in the crisis.

Shehu made the remarks in a post on X on Sunday, citing examples from across the country to show that criminality transcends regions, tribes, and faiths. He argued that no section of the country can claim innocence amid the deteriorating security situation.

According to Shehu, security threats nationwide include individuals from different communities. He noted that many Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa hail from Kanuri and Shuwa communities, while ISWAP cells around Kogi, Kwara, and Ondo reportedly include significant numbers of people from the Egbira ethnic group.

He further alleged that some informants working with bandits in the Northwest are Hausa, while several bandit leaders and fighters come from Fulani communities. “Some individuals from the Berom ethnic group in Plateau are involved in the production and distribution of locally-made weapons used by criminal networks,” he added.

Shehu also referenced other examples across the country. He claimed that the leader of the Mahmudawa group operating in parts of Kwara State, Abba Abubakar, is a Hausa man from Daura, Katsina State. Citing a statement attributed to Governor Charles Soludo, he said a large share of individuals involved in kidnapping, armed robbery, ritual crimes, and other violent offenses in the South-East are of Igbo background.

Other examples cited by Shehu include:

• Ijaw, Urhobo, and Itsekiri individuals involved in kidnapping, oil theft, and vandalism in the Niger Delta.

• Yoruba communities implicated in kidnapping and ritual-related offenses in the South-West, irrespective of religious affiliation.

• Tiv and Fulani individuals linked to banditry and violent incidents in Benue and Taraba.

• Igbo involvement in illegal baby factories and child-trafficking networks, including both Christians and traditional worshippers.

• Cyber-fraud schemes involving people from Edo State, the South-East, and other areas.

• Illegal drug trafficking predominantly involving individuals of Igbo background.

• Phone-snatching and related attacks in Kaduna, Kano, and Katsina involving Hausa individuals.

He also noted that crimes such as bank fraud and forgery of academic and official documents are widespread across virtually all tribes and religious groups. Shehu pointed out that some cultural groups continue to honour individuals despite their alleged criminal activities, sometimes granting them traditional titles, and that Nigeria’s prisons reflect this diversity.

“Therefore, if Nigeria collapses and disintegrates, just remember we are individually and collectively responsible in different percentages. No one section of the country can claim innocence,” Shehu concluded.