Nigeria’s former Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim (retd.), has raised alarm over what he described as deliberate and ongoing efforts by powerful forces to destabilise Nigeria and push the country towards disintegration.
Speaking in Abuja at the reunion of the 42nd Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), the retired naval chief said the worsening insecurity across the country is not accidental but the outcome of calculated actions by internal and external actors who do not want Nigeria to remain united.
Admiral Ibrahim warned that Nigeria’s large population, vast natural resources, strategic importance and porous borders have made it a major target for exploitation. He noted that while many Nigerians struggle economically, outsiders often see the country as prosperous and seek to benefit from it without contributing to its stability or development.
He said Nigeria is paying a heavy price for weak border control, stressing that criminal networks, armed groups and foreign interests have taken advantage of the situation to fuel violence, instability and division across different regions.
The former defence chief also expressed concern that some groups within the country are deliberately working to erase Nigeria’s identity as a united nation, adding that long-standing predictions about Nigeria breaking up have not disappeared but continue to drive hostile actions.
According to him, there are forces that never wanted Nigeria to exist as one country and are still actively pursuing that agenda through insecurity, social division and sustained pressure on the state.
Ibrahim emphasised that tackling the threat requires collective responsibility, warning that no individual, government or security agency can address the challenge alone. He called for national unity, cooperation among security institutions and a renewed sense of patriotism among citizens.
He described the Nigerian Defence Academy as one of the few institutions that continues to unite Nigerians across ethnic, religious and regional lines, urging leaders and citizens to strengthen such national bonds.
His warning comes against the backdrop of persistent security challenges, including insurgency in the North-East, banditry and mass kidnappings in the North-West and North-Central, communal clashes, and separatist agitations in parts of the South-East and South-West.
Although there has been no direct official response to his remarks, Nigeria’s military leadership has repeatedly reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the country’s territorial integrity and cautioned against narratives capable of undermining national unity.
Security analysts say the former CDS’s comments reflect deepening concern within defence and policy circles that Nigeria’s insecurity is being driven by a complex mix of local grievances, criminal enterprises and external interests, making unity and coordinated national action critical to preventing further instability.
Admiral Ibrahim concluded by urging Nigerians to recognise that, despite its many challenges, Nigeria remains their only country, warning that failure to confront the forces pushing the nation towards disintegration could have grave consequences for its future.