Nigeria’s rapid deployment of troops to Benin Republic within 24 hours of the military takeover has sparked outrage across the country. The same government that often appears slow, indifferent, or “investigating endlessly” when Nigerians are killed or abducted suddenly acted with unprecedented speed — but for another nation.
For citizens who have lost loved ones, communities, and security to bandits and terrorists, this swift intervention feels like a painful reminder: the state can act decisively, it simply chooses not to when the victims are Nigerians.
Read also:Obio/Akpor Leadership Throws Weight Behind Fubara’s APC Alignment
From priests whose churches were burned, to parents of kidnapped schoolgirls, to displaced villagers living in IDP camps, the message seems clear. The government shows more urgency for foreign stability than for domestic safety, despite the daily bloodshed within its borders.
The legality of the deployment also remains questionable. The Constitution requires Senate approval before sending troops abroad, except when there is an imminent threat to Nigeria. There was none. No Senate deliberation was announced. This suggests the deployment may have bypassed constitutional procedure entirely.
Public distrust deepens with resurfaced controversies involving Defence Minister Bello Matawalle, who has previously defended bandits and was reportedly involved in securing the release of a notorious armed criminal. Similarly, concerns linger around figures like Sheikh Gumi, long accused of sympathizing with extremist elements.
All these issues paint a disturbing picture: Nigeria’s insecurity persists not because the government is incapable, but because decisive action is selectively applied. When foreign interests are at stake, the state moves instantly. When Nigerians cry for protection, the response is hesitation, excuses, or silence.
A nation that prioritizes external agendas over its own citizens’ safety risks losing both internal control and global credibility. Until Nigeria’s leaders demonstrate the same urgency at home as they do abroad, the country will remain strategically defenceless — not by force, but by choice.
