Headlinenews.news Investigations Desk
In collaboration with Nigerian Coalition For National Security (NCNS)
Nigeria is approaching a critical inflection point in its war against insecurity, as public frustration boils over in the face of rising terrorist attacks, mass kidnappings and targeted ambushes — despite President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent overhaul of the Service Chiefs.
In barely one month, several incidents have shaken national confidence to its core:
– the kidnapping of 24 schoolgirls in Kebbi State,
– the deadly attack on worshippers at CAC Church in Kwara State, where two members were killed and many injured,
– the ambush of troops heading for a rescue mission,
– fresh terrorist attacks in Edo State, signalling expansion into new territories,
– and the controversial killing of Brigadier General Musa Uba, widely seen as avoidable and linked to a leak of his operational location.
Amid these developments, Nigerians across regions, classes and political divides are now openly calling for the immediate removal of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Minister of Defence, arguing that the worsening security situation reflects deep failure in strategy, coordination and leadership at the very top of the national security architecture.
A Crisis of Strategy, Not Manpower
The broad sentiment emerging nationwide is clear: Nigeria is not losing this war because its Armed Forces lack capacity, training or courage. It is losing ground because the security leadership and architecture are failing to provide direction, intelligence and cohesion.
Despite new Service Chiefs and ongoing operations, terrorists appear more emboldened — executing coordinated attacks, gaining insider support and exploiting intelligence gaps. They anticipate troop movements, spring precise ambushes and operate with a confidence that suggests they know more than they should.
This, Nigerians argue, points to failures not on the battlefield, but at the centre of national security management.
As one senior security analyst told Headlinenews.news:
> “The military has capable officers. What Nigeria lacks right now is strategic leadership with the ability to anticipate threats, detect sabotage and drive unified action.”
Why Nigerians Want the NSA and Defence Minister Removed
Criticisms are pouring in from military veterans, civil society groups, academics, security experts and everyday citizens. Their reasoning is disturbingly consistent:
Persistent intelligence failures
Unexplained insider leaks within the military
Repeated ambushes of senior officers
Slow or ineffective response to kidnappings
Poor coordination between security agencies
Failure to modernise strategy despite escalating threats
The most explosive outrage centres on the NSA’s absence from Nigeria at one of the most sensitive security moments in recent years.
At a time when:
24 Muslim schoolgirls remain in captivity,
Churches and communities are under attack,
Nigerian Troops are being ambushed en route to rescue missions, and
a Brigadier General has just been killed in a suspicious ambush,
Nigerians expected the NSA to be at the heart of the operations room in Abuja.
Instead, he was reportedly in Washington D.C. with the Inspector-General of Police, engaging U.S. officials on issues related to Trump’s CPC designation.
For many Nigerians, this was the final proof of a serious misplacement of priorities.
A retired senior officer captured the mood bluntly:
“In a crisis of this magnitude, the NSA’s place is in the Operations Room, not abroad. Leadership must be present to lead.”
“Nobody Is Safe” — Fear Taking Root Nationwide
Nigerians increasingly believe that the scale of insider sabotage and information leakage inside the security system has reached a dangerous level.
The perception is widespread:
Terrorists anticipate troop movement with uncanny accuracy
Sensitive military information leaks too quickly
Ambushes, especially of senior officers, are precise and devastating
Sabotage and compromise are now openly whispered in military circles
Citizens fear that even the President may not be fully protected in an environment where internal betrayal appears to thrive unchecked.
This has reinforced demands for retired Army Generals of unquestionable integrity and patriotism to take over the roles of NSA and Defence Minister — men with battle-tested experience and the authority to sanitise the system and confront entrenched syndicates within.
Opinion Poll: A Nation’s Verdict
A recent online opinion poll conducted by Headlinenews.news and the Nigerian Coalition For National Security (NCNS) offers a stark snapshot of public opinion:
90% of respondents want the NSA and Defence Minister removed immediately.
85% prefer retired military Generals to replace them.
15% do not care whether the replacements are civilians or military — they just want the current holders out.
45% support the idea of foreign intervention to help stabilise security, reflecting dwindling trust in domestic security leadership.
55% believe the government is not deploying enough modern equipment or fighting to actually win, not just to manage the situation.
65% say the military should stop “rehabilitating” terrorists and instead apply a more decisive, lethal approach.
70% feel President Tinubu is too soft on insecurity and must urgently change strategy and replace his national security team.
The numbers are not marginal; they represent an overwhelming consensus that the current national security leadership has lost public confidence.
Trump’s Warning and the “Enemy Within”
Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s harsh remarks about Nigeria’s insecurity — once dismissed as exaggerated — now resonate more sharply with many citizens.
Allegations of:
arms being diverted to terrorists,
intelligence and movement details being leaked,
and top officers of integrity being repeatedly targeted,
have deepened the belief that “the enemy is within” the security establishment.
The letter by retired Major General Danjuma Ali-Keffi to President Tinubu, exposing alleged sabotage, terror-financing networks and internal resistance to genuine anti-terror operations, has only reinforced the public’s suspicion that powerful unpatriotic elements are working from inside to destabilise the system and profit from prolonged insecurity.
The reported case of a helicopter allegedly dropping arms for insurgents in a Kwara community during a past incident has further fuelled belief that there are players far beyond rag-tag bandits involved in this crisis.
General Uba’s Death as a Symbol of Systemic Failure
The killing of Brigadier General Musa Uba has become a potent symbol of everything Nigerians believe is wrong with the current security order.
Many believe his death was avoidable and linked to an internal leak of his location from within the command structure — a fatal security breach that handed terrorists a valuable target.
When a Brigadier General in active command can be ambushed and killed in this manner, officers and citizens alike are asking:
If he is not safe, who is?
The Expanding Shadow: Edo, Kebbi, Kwara and the South-West Threat
The recent terrorist attacks in Edo State show that the threat is no longer confined to the North-East or North-West. It is spreading steadily.
In Kebbi, the 24 abducted schoolgirls — all Muslims, as confirmed by the school’s released list — underscore that terrorism does not discriminate by faith; it destabilises everyone.
In Kwara, the attack on CAC Church during service, leaving two members dead and many injured, underscores the vulnerability of soft targets and the growing boldness of attackers.
Recent revelations that forests around the South-West reportedly host large numbers of armed elements “awaiting signals” have alarmed residents and security watchers. Nigerians fear that unless something changes, the country could face coordinated, multi-regional violence.
The Call to President Tinubu: Act Before It Is Too Late
From the polls, public outcry and expert analyses, one message is clear:
President Tinubu must act — decisively, urgently, and fearlessly.
Nigerians are demanding:
A complete overhaul of the national security leadership
Replacement of the NSA and Defence Minister with retired Generals of proven integrity and loyalty
Immediate restructuring of the national security architecture
Rapid modernisation of surveillance, intelligence and response systems
Systematic identification and removal of internal saboteurs
They also insist that the NSA must be on ground in Nigeria, not abroad, leading rescue missions, overseeing investigations and coordinating operations — particularly in cases like the Kebbi schoolgirls and the killing of General Uba.
A Nation Tired of Excuses
The situation has gone beyond rhetoric.
The country wants answers.
It wants accountability.
It wants leadership.
It wants change.
And it wants it now, before the window for decisive action closes and the security crisis spirals beyond control.
Nigerian Coalition For National Security (NCNS)
Headlinenews.news Special Investigative Report
