Nigeria security agencies face criticism as terrorism shifts to the southwest

Former security chief Mike Ejiofor said terrorist activity in Nigeria is moving from the northeast to the southwest, noting the region’s larger Muslim population and the lack of equipped, funded police forces. He argued the surge is not an intelligence failure but a result of under‑resourced agencies and the absence of state police, which he believes would improve local response.

An opinion piece echoed these concerns, urging the disbandment of the Department of State Services (DSS). It cited recent abductions in Ibadan’s Challenge area, the kidnapping of over 40 pupils in Oyo State, and the unresolved massacre of 200 Christians in Benue, accusing the DSS of failing to pre‑empt or halt such attacks. The author called for a re‑imagining of the DSS amidst growing insecurity.

Both pieces highlight widespread insecurity, the rise of banditry and insurgent groups such as Ansaru, ISIS, ISWAP and Boko Haram, and the call for reforms including the creation of state police forces.