Security crisis takes centre stage as Mbamalu faults focus on 2027

The Publisher of Prime Business Africa, Dr. Marcel Mbamalu, has warned that Nigeria risks normalising its deepening security crisis if political leaders continue to prioritise electoral calculations ahead of the 2027 polls over the protection of lives and property.

He made the observation when he spoke during the newspaper review segment of a Channels Television programme: “Morning Brief.”

Mbamalu, on the Wednesday edition of the programme, said the country’s worsening wave of killings, kidnappings, and bandit attacks deserved greater national attention, arguing that public discourse had become disproportionately focused on the 2027 elections.

According to him, the failure of political leaders to place insecurity at the centre of governance has created the impression that electoral politics now outweighs the urgency of safeguarding citizens.

Reviewing the front-page headline of the New Telegraph newspaper: “CAN Demands State of Emergency on Security, Declares ‘Black Sunday’ Over Killings,” he described the Christian Association of Nigeria’s planned day of mourning as a reflection of the state’s inability to provide adequate comfort and reassurance to victims and their families.

He said the proposed “Black Sunday” was intended not only to honour those who had lost their lives, but also to draw national attention to the scale of the crisis and exert moral pressure on the government to take decisive action.

“If June 14 passes with prayers and no policy shift on security, it becomes another annual tragedy,” he said, stressing that the true measure of CAN’s intervention would be whether it compels authorities to move beyond expressions of condolence to concrete action.

Mbamalu argued that conversations around state policing and broader security reforms should dominate national debate, noting that many state governors, particularly those of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), have the political leverage to push for meaningful changes.

He criticised what he described as the excessive attention given to political manoeuvring at a time many Nigerians are living under the threat of violence.

“Instead of talking about fixing tickets, we should be talking about the various attacks all over the country,” he said.

The media executive made similar observations while reviewing other newspaper headlines, including Leadership’s reports: “2027: Get Your PVCs Ready, Catholic Bishops Tell Nigerians,” and: “We Spent Days Without Food, Beaten Till Blood Flowed, Kaduna Kidnap Victim Recounts Ordeal.”

Responding to questions on the treatment of captured terrorists, Mbamalu said many Nigerians had lost confidence in institutions responsible for securing the country. 

He criticised programmes designed to rehabilitate and reintegrate former terrorists, arguing that greater attention and resources should instead be directed towards victims of violence and displaced communities.

“It is laughable that in 2026 we are still talking about rehabilitating terrorists,” he said, adding that government support should first reach those whose lives and livelihoods have been destroyed by insecurity.

He further argued that the scale of violence in parts of the country now justifies the declaration of a state of emergency, contrasting the emergency rule imposed in Rivers State over political tensions with the situation in communities ravaged by banditry and terrorism.

Mbamalu also expressed concern over reports that criminal groups possess more sophisticated weapons than security operatives, calling for stronger measures to improve the country’s security architecture and deter violence.

While acknowledging that the media has continued to report incidents of insecurity, he said the country’s political class often projects the wrong priorities by focusing on campaigns and re-election strategies while many Nigerians remain in captivity or mourn loved ones lost to attacks.

According to him, political conversations should be driven by how leaders intend to tackle insecurity rather than by electoral ambitions.

Commenting on This Nigeria newspaper headlines, including: “End Terrorism in 90 Days or Quit, Adeboye Tells Security Chiefs,” and: “NUT Storms Streets Nationwide Over School Abductions,” Mbamalu commended the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, for speaking out.

He, however, maintained that the constitutional responsibility for protecting lives and property rests with the government and should not be shifted to religious institutions.

“The country is bleeding slowly despite having people in charge of protecting our lives with our money,” he said.

Mbamalu urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to seize what he described as a defining moment for his administration, arguing that decisive action against terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping could ultimately become the enduring legacy of his presidency.

His remarks underscored growing concerns among civil society, religious leaders and sections of the media that Nigeria’s deteriorating security situation is increasingly overshadowing every other national challenge, even as political actors intensify preparations for the next electoral cycle.