Why Nigeria still dey struggle wit insecurity despite high security spending

Govment go, govment come and year in, year out, defence and security budget dey take di highest percentatge share of Nigeria budget. But why insecurity neva get solution?

Dis na big kwesion plenti Nigerians and sabi pipo don dey ask for many years, as insecurity dey hit deep into Nigeria.

President Bola Tinubu bin present 49.7 trillion naira proposed budget to di National Assembly, and out of dat, 4.91 trillion naira na for defence and security for 2025.

Di 2026 budget wey worth 58.18 trillion naira, security and defence get di highest share of wit 5.41 trillion.

By April 2026, Nigeria President Tinubu sign di 2026 appropriation bill wey provide for how dem go spend 68.32 trillion naira, and still security get better per centage share for inside.

Dis confam say, year in, year out, Nigeria get per centage of di. budget from taxpayers money wey dey go into security and defence, but di wia e dey go.

Despite years of military operations, rising defence budgets, and repeated goment interventions, insecurity remain one of Nigeria most pressing challenges.

Wit di latest abduction of schoolchildren and dia teachers for Oyo and Borno states sparking serious questions and leading to protests, how long Nigeria go battle insecurity?

Di problem of insecurity for Nigeria

From school kidnapping to bombing, village attacks, place of worship and to di killing of military officials- di problem of insecurity for Nigeria dey worry many pipo.

Four groups wey dey linked wit al-Qaeda wey dey operate for Nigeria- dem be Boko Haram, Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), Jama'atu Ansarul Muslimina fi Biladis Sudan (Ansaru) and Boko Haram-allied Mahmuda.

Two groups wey dey linked wit IS wey be Islamic State West African Province (Iswap) and Lakurawa also dey di kontri.

Di presence of dis terrorist groups dey lead to major attacks wey dey happun for di northern part of Nigeria wit many normally linked to Boko Haram, Iswap, Ansaru, Mahmuda, Lakurawa and JNIM.

But of recent, since Oga Tinubu enta office, some big attacks don hit di South- leaving di kwesion of wetin dey really occur and wetin dey cause di deadly attacks and abductions.

For 2025, Nigeria President bin declare nationwide security emergency for di kontri afta weeks of kasala nationwide.

As part of di declaration, oga Tinubu order di police and army make dem employ more pipo for inside dia ranks.

But inside dat period, different parts of Nigeria witness terrorist and bandits attacks.

Till today, some kidnapped school children neva return, even afta many years - upon say dis terrorists and bandits dey collect ransom.

Why Nigeria dey struggle wit insecurity

One report mention say wetin dey drive militants na ideological, political and territorial goals, wey make dem dey use beta planned and sustained kasala.

Anoda report wey di geopolitical research firm, SB Morgen (SBM) Intelligence, bring come outside tok say Nigerians don pay at least $1.66m give kidnappers between July 2024 and June 2025 and e don make "banditry" to be like beta business.

Sabi pipo say collection of ransom na one reason wey make terrorist dey attck and kidnap pipo for Nigeria.

Dem say di killings dey normally happun for di attacks demsef and bandits dey also kill pipo wey dia familes no fit pay ransom.

Dr Buhari Ubandawaki wey be monitoring and evaluation expert, wit years of experience working wit Non-governmental organisations, identify multiple factors behind di rising attacks by bandits and Boko Haram for Nigeria.

E link di trend of terrorist and bandit attacks to financial incentives and military pressure.

"Wetin dey ginger dis criminal groups na di ransom wey dem dey get wen dem kidnap pipo so dem gatz dey run dia attacks against villages, travellers, churches and schools."

E add say jaguda pipo get long term goal and na all dia attacks na to forward dia worldview, and if Nigeria wan defeat dem or atleast reduce dia attacks, dem gat move wit intelligence.

For di issue of military spending and why attacks dey hit more for Nigeria, Captain Garba wey be retired military officer tell BBC News Pidgin, say di defence and security budget for Nigeria gatz dey accounted for.

Oga Garba say no be to just approve budget for security, but di relevant authorities gatz also see say dem monitor to confam weda wetin dem approve dey used for di right course.

"Nobody dey doubt di patriotism or di honesty of di security chiefs, but di issue be say dem suppose do oversight. Sometime, misapplication fit dey of wia dia fund dey go."

"If dem no appropriate di budget well, e fit no dey enough. One of di problem be say we tok about budget, budget dey high but wetin dem dey spend di budget on," retired captain Garba ask.

Anoda issue wey di retired senior military officer tok na if dem dey check di security budget to confam say dem dey spend am ontop wetin e dey for.

"If di Senators no ready to examine, den issues dey, dem no dey do am for any democracy, check di America, check di British, if dem give pipo taxpayers money, you gatz check dem."

E say if Nigeria wan face di insecurity wahala for di kontri, both di executive and legislative need check, instead of increasing di defence budget evri year witout producing results.

Wetin govment need to do?

For possible solutions, sabi pesin Ubandawaki tok say Nigeria security challenges now require broader and more coordinated responses to face di jaguda pipo.

E say make dem cut off arms supply routes, becos na dia di bandit groups dey get power to launch attacks.

"Di terrorists no fit dey defeated until dia supply routes dey cut off," e tok.

E say make goment cut off major routes wey jaguda pipo dey take carry illegal arms into di kontri and make border measures dey kampe.

Nigeria Minister of Defence Christopher Musa don alreadi tok say e dey possible for Nigeria to build wall across all di kontri border to make sure say jaguda pipo no go dey fit enta di kontri anyhow.

For im exclusive interview wit di BBC, oga Musa insist say kontris wey dia borders long pass Nigeria own don do am, and na one sure way to improve security for di kontri.

If dat one also dey in place, e go prevent terrorists and bandit groups from carrying arms and ammunition into di kontri.

For oga Garba, im own tok na say make dem chook eyes inside di defence and security budget to find if dem dey use for wetin e dey for.

"I no dey say di money dey enough, but check wetin di military dey spend money on,' di retired captain tok.