Retired Commodore Kunle Olawunmi has alleged that hostile foreign governments and intelligence services are playing active roles in Nigeria’s worsening security crisis, claiming that external interests are fuelling terrorism and banditry across the country.
Speaking at the maiden edition of Boiling Point Extra, a public policy discourse on school kidnappings and the safety of children, the retired naval officer argued that the violence engulfing parts of the country goes beyond what many Nigerians perceive as isolated attacks by criminal groups.
Olawunmi, a Professor of Global Counter-Terrorism, also alleged that the Federal Government had been compromised, allowing the security situation to deteriorate.
According to him, “The government is involved in what is going on. They have been compromised.”
He further claimed that “foreign partners and hostile intelligence services are also involved.”
The former naval officer said Nigerians were paying too much attention to individual security incidents without considering what he described as the larger geopolitical forces behind the violence.
“We’re just looking at the small pictures, the skirmishes, the tactical situations and scenarios. But the big picture is that foreign governments are involved in what is going on, and our government today has been compromised to look the other way and allow people to be killed,” he alleged.
Despite his criticism of the government’s handling of security, Olawunmi expressed confidence in the capability of the Nigerian Armed Forces to defeat insurgents and bandits if given clear political direction.
Drawing from his experience in military operations, including peacekeeping missions in Liberia and Sierra Leone, he said Nigerian soldiers remained highly professional and battle-ready.
“If you ask them to enter the forests today, they will flush out those people,” he said.
“Nobody should call them pepper soup soldiers. They are soldiers and they obey orders. If you ask them to sit, they will sit. If you ask them to kill, they kill.”
He urged Nigerians to continue respecting members of the armed forces, insisting that the military should not be blamed for the country’s inability to decisively end insecurity.
Olawunmi also linked the security crisis to longstanding governance challenges and broader political issues, arguing that a proper understanding of the conflict requires looking beyond the immediate attacks.
He advised Nigerians to become more proactive about their personal safety instead of relying entirely on government protection.
“My advice to our followers and the people listening is that we have to take our lives back. Don’t depend on this government. They’re not going to rescue you. Try to defend yourself,” he said.
The retired Commodore expressed optimism that sustained public discourse through platforms such as Boiling Point Extra would help deepen national conversations on insecurity and contribute to lasting solutions.
The programme, hosted by veteran broadcaster Ayo Arowojolu, was held via Zoom and broadcast live on partner radio stations across Lagos, Ogun and Delta states. It was organised in collaboration with the National Association of Seadogs (NAS) and featured other discussants, including retired Colonel Lawrence Owosheni, retired Assistant Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Rachael Awosusi, strategy and development expert Yinka Quadri, and veteran journalist Yemi Akintunde.
