Deji Adeyanju: “Insecurity Is Profitable for Certain Military Leaders”

Human Rights activist, Deji Adeyanju has accused some individuals in the military of benefiting from the insecurity in the country.

Adeyanju made the allegation during a press conference held in his chamber on Tuesday.

He urged Nigerians to critically examine the security situation, adding that those benefiting from the crisis have no incentive to see it end.

“Insecurity is a major business in Nigeria. Those making money with insecurity in the Army don’t want it to end,” Adeyanju declared.

He argued that the scale and persistence of violence cannot be explained without internal collaboration.

“Look at it again holistically, no matter how you look at it. Look at the issue of insecurity in the North East and all over the country. Military officers are complicit in what is going on in the country,” he said.

He reiterated the allegation for emphasis: “Military officers are complicit in what is going on in the country. You cannot explain it.”

Adeyanju referenced the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, recalling how the government resorted to hiring foreign mercenaries at the peak of the insurgency by Boko Haram.

“You recall under Jonathan, when this Boko Haram thing became so terrible, Jonathan had to hire mercenaries from South Africa,” he said.

According to him, the intervention of the foreign fighters yielded swift results in reclaiming territories previously controlled by insurgents.

“They hired mercenaries from South Africa, and the Boko Haram people were cleared. The whole of Gwoza, all those places where Boko Haram were holding sway, the mercenaries from South Africa, they cleared everybody,” Adeyanju stated.

He added that the operation’s success was evident during the 2015 election period.

“You remember the elections were postponed for six weeks. And the mercenaries from South Africa came and cleared everything,” he said.

Adeyanju also raised concerns about alleged corruption within the military hierarchy, pointing to ongoing investigations into unexplained wealth among top officers

“I believe that there are several investigations by the anti-corruption agencies where these generals who are building estates all over Abuja have been investigated. Majority of these estates belong to the generals. Where did they get their money from?” he queried.

He alleged that funds meant for combating insurgency had been diverted.

“Is it not from the security money that was supposed to be used to fight Boko Haram? So, the reason why the insecurity is not ending in the country is because they’ve turned insecurity into business in Nigeria. They don’t want the insecurity to finish,” he said.

Adeyanju further argued that the continuation of violence benefits those who control security budgets

“Because if the insecurity finishes, they will no longer get billions to fight Boko Haram. They will no longer get billions to fight bandits. So, they are enjoying insecurity,” he alleged.