In every nation, the army is usually the last line of defense, especially when every other structure of defense like the Police, DSS, NSCDC, and other paramilitary agencies have failed or become overwhelmed.
This usually happens when the police force, civil defense, and every other paramilitary structure are unable to hold the line against internal security threats. Then the army becomes the final line of defense, both against external aggression and internal insurrection.
But in the case of Nigeria, it is fast becoming a reality that even our last line of defense, which is the Nigerian Army, has failed woefully. What does this imply for us as a nation? It simply means that we are gradually becoming defenseless and susceptible to both external and internal aggression.
Simply put, as it stands today, the Nigerian Army appears incapable of effectively defending the territorial integrity of Nigeria should there be any major external aggression from countries surrounding us. This is evident in the recurring attacks on military formations, the killings of high-ranking officers across the country, and the army’s seeming helplessness against untrained men riding motorcycles, wearing ragged camouflage and worn-out sneakers.
Now, I will write in very simple and clear terms so that the common man can understand.
When Nigeria started experiencing the menace of Boko Haram, ISWAP, and other terrorist groups, our first line of defense, as usual, was the deployment of paramilitary forces like the police, DSS, NSCDC, and others. But when it became evident that these agencies could not contain the insurrection, the army was introduced.
At first, it looked like the military was winning the war. There were successes, territories recovered, and morale appeared high. But things quickly spiraled out of control. As it stands now, our army itself seems defenseless against the insurgency. Troops repeatedly get overrun in ambushes by terrorists. Army bases are no longer spared. Full battalions now come under constant attacks, many of which are barely repelled. In the past one year alone, it would interest you to know that more than five senior Nigerian military officers, including Colonels and Brigadier Generals, have reportedly been killed in insurgent attacks between 2025 and May 2026. The most recent case currently making rounds is that of a Brigadier General reportedly killed in an ambush while his wife was abducted. What does this tell you?
Even in countries actively engaged in conventional warfare, the ratio of high-ranking officers killed in battle is not usually this alarming. Yet in Nigeria today, poorly educated militias and insurgents are overrunning military barracks, sacking formations, laying ambushes, killing troops, and destroying officers trained with millions of naira.
Soldiers deployed to battlefronts are often left unfed or poorly fed. Our gallant men still use outdated rifles and obsolete equipment against a guerrilla force that constantly upgrades its arsenal. Fighting men are poorly paid, their allowances are a pittance, and there are barely any meaningful welfare packages in cases of injury or death.
These soldiers see their injured colleagues abandoned after service. They see retired personnel receiving miserable pensions after sacrificing their lives for this country. All these things have contributed immensely to the demoralization of the fighting spirit of the men who took oaths to protect us.
And in the history of warfare, nothing is more dangerous than a demoralized fighting force.
This is happening because there is deep institutional decay within the Nigerian Army itself.
Yes, we agree that Nigeria has a corruption problem generally, but there is also massive corruption within the military establishment that is making the army increasingly inefficient in defending the country against insurgents.
Every year, billions of naira are allocated to defense. But if you look closely at the living conditions of the troops tasked with protecting Nigerians, you will barely see the impact of these budgets on their lives.
Look at the barracks they live in.
Look at the food they eat on battle lines.
Look at the uniforms they wear.
Look at the equipment they are sent into combat with.
You will immediately see signs of underfunding and neglect. And this is not because Nigeria lacks a defense budget.
The Nigerian defense budget runs into hundreds of billions of naira annually. Yet our troops continue to go through humiliating and demoralizing conditions that leave them poorly trained, poorly motivated, and ill-equipped to tackle modern insurgency.
We now have a Nigerian Army where many top generals appear more interested in acquiring real estate across the country than strengthening military efficiency.
If you go to places like Maitama, Asokoro, Apo, and Garki in Abuja, you would be shocked by the number of luxury properties allegedly linked to top military officers. They appear more concerned with diverting money meant for the welfare of troops into private investments than ensuring that the quality of training and equipment available to soldiers is world-class.
Every year, money meant for the men and women of the armed forces gets diverted into other ventures. How else do you explain the sudden wealth and extraordinary purchasing power displayed by some of these officers?
You do not need a soothsayer to tell you that something is wrong.
The treatment troops receive is clearly not proportional to the amount of money released to the military yearly.
Just recently, a serving minister was reportedly confronted by a naval officer over issues relating to a property linked to a retired senior officer. Incidents like these continue to raise uncomfortable questions about the growing intersection between military leadership and unexplained wealth.
So while officers who are supposed to strategize and guarantee Nigeria’s territorial protection are busy acquiring estates and properties, the ordinary soldier is left exposed in battlefields with outdated equipment.
Instead of being warriors and defenders of national sovereignty, many now behave like real estate moguls. Everybody appears focused on securing personal wealth and future comfort.
When a soldier takes command, he takes an oath to defend the territorial integrity of Nigeria and protect its citizens. But today, many personnel are desperate for lucrative deployments, especially to oil-rich regions and strategic installations where illegal financial opportunities exist outside official salaries.
Why? Because the system itself has conditioned many of them to survive through unofficial means.
The obsession now is no longer patriotism or national defense. The obsession is property acquisition. Officers now compete with politicians over who owns more real estate. And let me be clear: there is absolutely nothing wrong with military officers owning properties or investments. The real question is this: How are they able to afford these properties legitimately on military salaries? What are the true sources of this wealth? Meanwhile, the lives and welfare of troops continue to deteriorate.
As a result of the corruption embedded within the system, troops remain poorly trained, poorly equipped, and poorly motivated. Naturally, they cannot decisively tackle insurgency and terrorism. The Nigerian Army used to be regarded as one of the strongest fighting forces in Africa. But today, we are gradually becoming a toothless tiger, capable mainly of intimidating unarmed civilians while struggling severely against determined insurgents.
You can see what happens anytime troops come into direct confrontation with terrorists. Bases are attacked, formations are overrun, officers are killed, and little changes afterward.
No serious accountability.
No meaningful restructuring.
No visible re-strategizing.
The same cycle repeats itself over and over again.
And this raises a frightening question: If the very last line of our national defense can be repeatedly overwhelmed by bandits riding motorcycles and wearing suicide vests, what then happens if Nigeria faces coordinated external aggression? Are Nigerian soldiers currently capable of fully defending our territory? Do they possess the right equipment? Do we still have sufficient operational weapons systems?
Can we effectively secure our land borders, airspace, and territorial waters?
If an independent audit is conducted into the actual state of the Nigerian military today, many Nigerians would be shocked at the level of decay and institutional rot.
At this point, the Nigerian Army increasingly looks less like a modern fighting force and more like an armed structure merely existing because it still possesses rifles, armored vehicles, and ammunition. There is little visible innovation in local military technology or indigenous weapons development.
I remember when the Buhari administration pursued the acquisition of 12 Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters from the United States. Till today, many Nigerians still do not know the exact operational status of those helicopters, despite the fact that pilots and personnel were reportedly trained for them.
The Nigerian Army continues training men without adequately equipping them with the tools needed to fight modern battles. Why? Because the system is deeply riddled with corruption.
The people entrusted with ensuring that our fighting forces remain battle-ready are now competing with politicians in looting public resources, acquiring properties locally and internationally, and hiding wealth through proxies. A military institution like this cannot function effectively. An armed force like this will continue struggling against insurgency. And honestly, I am not surprised that terrorism, banditry, kidnappings, and violent attacks continue to thrive across the country. Why? Because many people benefiting from the insecurity industry are making enormous amounts of money from it. So why would they truly want it to end?
But for how long can Nigeria continue like this before we gradually descend into something resembling Sudan or Somalia? A lot must change drastically. Sadly, the political class often appears unconcerned as long as the military remains loyal to democratic authority. The military establishment itself also appears comfortable as long as defense budgets continue flowing and nobody asks hard questions. But it is time Nigerians begin asking questions. It is our constitutional right to ask questions.
Just recently, journalist Justice Crack was reportedly arrested and handed over to the DSS after raising concerns about the welfare of soldiers fighting insurgency. Instead of addressing the issues raised, the system moved against the messenger. We cannot continue normalizing this kind of impunity. The billions allocated to defense yearly must produce visible results. The army is supposed to be a heavily fortified institution. It is supposed to represent Nigeria’s ultimate shield against collapse. But when military formations are repeatedly overrun by insurgents, Nigerians are forced to ask difficult questions.
Is the Nigerian Army still capable of protecting Nigerians? If the army struggles to protect its own personnel, rescue kidnapped officers, or defend its own bases effectively, then how can the ordinary citizen confidently place trust in the institution? These are the uncomfortable questions that must be asked. The Nigerian Army needs to wake up. And if it is no longer capable of effectively performing its constitutional responsibilities, then Nigeria itself faces a very dangerous future. Because the true strength of any serious nation lies largely in the strength, discipline, and effectiveness of its military institution.
As it stands today, in my opinion, I do not think the Nigerian Army can convincingly project military strength beyond our borders if it is still struggling to contain insurgency, terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping within our own territory.
Nigeria needs to wake up.
The military needs to wake up.
Nigerians need to speak out.
Because slowly, gradually, but steadily, we are drifting toward chaos if the right decisions are not taken. And by the time we realize this as a nation, it may already be too late.
My name is Wilson Levi, and I just want a nation where I can sleep with both eyes closed! Thank you.
