- “Give me control and I’ll end banditry in two months” — Zamfara governor dares Abuja
A retired naval officer, Commodore Kunle Olawunmi, has warned that Nigeria risks total collapse if terrorist sponsors are not arrested.
He accused President Bola Tinubu of being too politically cautious in tackling terrorism and corruption in the country.
This is even as Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, says he can end banditry in two months if he controls security agencies.
According to Commodore Olawunmi, religion and socio-cultural divisions remain the greatest threats to Nigeria’s stability.
“The problem has worsened since I left service in 2017,” Olawunmi said in an interview.
He said President Tinubu must act fast or risk allowing terrorism to spread beyond control.
“Terrorists do not forgive errors,” he warned. “You can’t negotiate with them. You deal with them decisively.”
The retired officer condemned the recent public negotiation between northern leaders and armed bandits in Katsina.
He described it as “a symptom of a failed state,” accusing officials of legitimising terrorism.
“If militias can meet openly with leaders, then who is in charge of the country?” he asked.
Olawunmi warned that such actions could become a dangerous state practice that might eventually collapse Nigeria.
He accused some powerful individuals of shielding terrorist financiers for political gain.
“These people sponsored politicians into power and now control the system,” he said.
According to him, the sponsors use their influence to block investigations and protect their interests.
“You can’t arrest those who made you,” he said. “That’s why the government fears touching them.”
Olawunmi urged Tinubu to summon intelligence chiefs and order the arrest of both local and foreign financiers.
He claimed that some of the financiers made massive profits during the Buhari administration by looting the Central Bank.
“They are using stolen money to fund chaos,” he alleged. “Tinubu must trace the money and crush them.”
The former intelligence chief also condemned the government’s policy of rehabilitating and reintegrating terrorists.
He warned that it would backfire and create a future army of radical officers.
“These men will become generals in 20 years and turn the army into an Islamic force,” he said.
He dismissed comparisons between Boko Haram and Niger Delta militants, saying the latter had legitimate economic demands.
“You can’t compare resource control with mass killings,” he said. “These terrorists are foreign criminals.”
On the alleged Islamisation agenda, Olawunmi claimed it is real and part of a long-term plan.
“They want full control of Nigeria’s resources and to impose a religious order,” he declared.
He alleged that some generals secretly ordered the release of captured insurgents due to religious ties.
“Senior officers intervened to free terrorists we caught in combat,” he said. “It’s a dangerous pattern.”
Speaking on the rumoured coup plot, Olawunmi said it was unrealistic and a product of frustration.
“This is not how to plan a coup,” he said. “But the frustration in the system is real.”
He urged Nigerians never to support military rule, describing it as worse than democracy.
“Don’t let soldiers rule,” he warned. “They are not emotional and will destroy half the country overnight.”
Olawunmi revealed that he was once declared wanted for speaking against corruption but never fled Nigeria.
He said several foreign governments offered him asylum, but he refused to leave the country.
“I am safer in Nigeria than abroad,” he said. “I know how unsafe the outside world can be.”
He dismissed claims that he speaks out because he was denied promotion, saying his integrity matters more.
“Promotion to major general is political,” he said. “I thank God for my life and experience.”
Olawunmi insisted that loyalty, not merit, determines who rises to higher ranks in the military.
“At that level, intelligence doesn’t count,” he said. “It’s all about who the president can trust.”
As insecurity deepens, his words echo a growing frustration among Nigerians who feel the system is failing.
“Tinubu must rise above fear and political games,” he said. “If he doesn’t act now, Nigeria may not survive the next decade.”
In a viral video, the governor revealed he knows the exact locations of bandit leaders hiding across the state.
Lawal lamented that he lacks the authority to act because all security agencies in Zamfara take orders from Abuja.
“I swear to Almighty Allah, I know where every bandit leader is in Zamfara,” he declared passionately.
“With my phone, I can show you their locations today, but I have no power to act,” he said.
The governor became emotional while narrating how villagers are killed as security operatives wait for federal clearance.
He recalled an attack in Shinkafi where soldiers reportedly refused to move until Abuja gave orders.
“If I could command the forces myself, banditry would end in Zamfara within two months,” Lawal vowed.
He added that the politicisation of insecurity is worsening the crisis and hindering real progress in the state.
Despite lacking full control, Lawal said his administration has supplied 150 patrol vehicles to security agencies.
Thousands of community guards and 2,000 hunters from Borno and Yobe have also joined the anti-bandit campaign.
“The insecurity issue is being politicised,” he said. “It’s destroying Zamfara, but I won’t stop trying.”
Zamfara remains one of northern Nigeria’s worst-hit states, with rampant killings, kidnappings, and mass displacements.
Residents have protested in Gusau, accusing leaders of failing to protect them from relentless attacks.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu recently said his government is considering creating state police forces to fight insecurity.
He also hinted at deploying drones and forest guards to flush out criminal elements across troubled regions.
As the debate over security control deepens, Nigerians watch to see if governors like Lawal will ever get the power they seek.
