"Ubuntu Rooted in Humanity"

In a land that has endured unspeakable violence — from Boko Haram bombings to mass kidnappings by armed bandits — one question continues to haunt Nigeria’s conscience: why are those truly responsible never held accountable?

For more than a decade, credible reports from journalists, intelligence agencies, and even government insiders have pointed to the involvement of Northern Nigerian political elites in funding or protecting extremist and bandit networks. Yet, despite overwhelming suspicion, no serious investigations or prosecutions have ever followed.

It is a story not of mystery, but of complicity — where politics, ethnicity, religion, and corruption intertwine in a deadly dance. The result is a systemic betrayal of the very people these leaders swore to serve.

1. The Shadow Economy of Violence

To understand why political elites might fund or protect terrorists and bandits, one must first understand the economy of insecurity that now dominates much of northern Nigeria.

Banditry, terrorism, and kidnappings are not random chaos; they are industries. They generate revenue through ransom payments, protection fees, illegal mining, and smuggling. In many areas of Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, and Niger states, armed groups control territories larger than some European countries.

Behind these operations are networks that supply weapons, fuel, intelligence, and political cover. Such networks often overlap with local elites who benefit from instability — either by profiting financially or by leveraging insecurity for political power.

When violence spreads, citizens become dependent on whoever can offer “protection,” whether a militia, a warlord, or a politician. This has created a shadow patronage system, where political influence and violent actors coexist symbiotically.

Some analysts describe it bluntly: “banditry has become northern Nigeria’s new oil.”

2. Politics of Fear and Control

In many rural regions, governance has collapsed. The police are outnumbered, soldiers are underpaid, and local chiefs lack authority. In such a vacuum, power belongs to those who can control fear.

Politicians, especially during election seasons, have been accused of arming or sponsoring local militias to intimidate voters, suppress rivals, or “secure” their territories. Once the elections are over, these militias often morph into bandit groups, using the same weapons and networks for personal profit.

This pattern is not unique to Nigeria — it mirrors the rise of warlordism in failed states. But in northern Nigeria, the danger is amplified by ethnic and religious manipulation. Politicians exploit sectarian narratives to justify alliances with violent actors, presenting themselves as defenders of their “people” against outsiders or rival tribes.

As a result, violence becomes an instrument of politics, and the line between a political ally and a terrorist becomes deliberately blurred.

3. The Web of Silence and Complicity

Over the years, reports from international organizations and local security agencies have hinted at elite sponsorship of insurgent and bandit groups. Some officials have even admitted that ransom payments and weapons transfers are facilitated through political intermediaries.

Yet, these revelations rarely lead to investigations. Why? Because the very people who should investigate are often part of the system that benefits from silence.

Consider these realities:

• Political immunity: Many governors and senior politicians enjoy near-total immunity while in office. Even when there are credible accusations, legal institutions are too weak or compromised to act.

• Ethnic solidarity: When an elite figure is accused, the issue is quickly reframed as an “attack on our region” or “our religion,” diverting attention from accountability to identity politics.

• Security complicity: Corrupt elements within the police, army, and intelligence services often protect high-level sponsors in exchange for money or political favor.

• Media intimidation: Journalists who investigate elite-linked terrorism risk harassment, arrest, or worse. Independent media in Nigeria operate under constant threat when dealing with security-related corruption.

This web of silence ensures that terrorism thrives not because it is invisible, but because it is inconvenient to expose.

4. The Politics of Amnesty and Negotiation

Nigeria’s response to insecurity has often included amnesty programs — offering money, housing, or reintegration to militants and bandits willing to “repent.” While this may sound pragmatic, it has unintentionally created a moral hazard: violence pays.

Many repentant fighters later return to banditry, while politicians and intermediaries profit from negotiation deals. Millions of dollars have reportedly changed hands during ransom payments or “peace dialogues.” In several cases, political middlemen acting as negotiators were accused of secretly financing the same groups they claimed to pacify.

These programs, lacking transparency, have become a laundering mechanism for corruption and terrorism financing. Instead of justice, victims witness the reward of perpetrators — deepening mistrust in the state.

5. Religious and Cultural Shields

Northern Nigeria’s cultural landscape is deeply influenced by religious authority. Many politicians rely on endorsements from clerics or religious movements. Some extremist preachers have long enjoyed elite protection, despite spreading inflammatory rhetoric that fuels violence.

The fear of being labeled “anti-Islam” has paralyzed open debate. Instead of confronting extremist ideologies, elites hide behind religious sensitivity, shielding those who use faith to justify violence.

This weaponization of religion makes accountability nearly impossible. The same sermon that calls for peace can be interpreted by others as a license for jihad — and the political class benefits from keeping that ambiguity alive.

6. The Collapse of Institutions

Perhaps the most significant reason no serious investigations follow elite-linked terrorism is institutional decay. Nigeria’s police, judiciary, and intelligence agencies have been systematically weakened by corruption and political interference.

Investigating elite sponsorship of terrorism would require:

• Independent intelligence gathering.

• Prosecution without political bias.

• Protection for witnesses and journalists.

None of these exist reliably in today’s Nigeria.

Even when the government identifies sponsors — as it did in 2021, when the Nigerian State Security Service reportedly compiled a list of “terror financiers” — the findings are buried. No names are made public. No trials occur. The issue fades, replaced by new headlines.

This impunity is the oxygen that sustains terrorism. As long as the powerful remain untouchable, the powerless remain unprotected.

7. The Geopolitics of Silence

There is also an international dimension. Northern Nigeria’s instability spills into Niger, Chad, and Cameroon — regions where Western powers have strategic military interests. Some foreign governments, wary of destabilizing a fragile ally like Nigeria, prefer not to expose high-level complicity.

Meanwhile, arms continue to flow across porous borders, often facilitated by corrupt border officials and political patrons who profit from smuggling. The war economy becomes too profitable for too many players — from local warlords to foreign arms dealers.

Thus, silence is not merely domestic; it is global.

8. The Human Cost of Political Betrayal

Behind every political calculation are real human tragedies. Villages burned, children abducted, families displaced — over 3 million people have been uprooted in northern Nigeria due to terrorism and banditry.

When leaders who should protect the people instead exploit their suffering, the moral foundation of the nation collapses. Citizens lose faith in government, turning either to self-defense militias or to religious movements, some of which themselves evolve into new forms of extremism.

This breakdown of trust fuels the cycle: political greed → insecurity → poverty → radicalization → more instability.

And all the while, the powerful remain safe behind their gated mansions in Abuja or Kaduna.

9. The Silence That Betrays Ubuntu

Africa’s traditional philosophy of Ubuntu — “I am because we are” — teaches that leadership is stewardship, not domination. But in northern Nigeria, Ubuntu has been replaced by self-preservation politics.

When political elites turn a blind eye to terror, they destroy the very essence of communal life. They trade humanity for power. They turn insecurity into opportunity.

This moral collapse is as dangerous as the violence itself. Because once society normalizes corruption and fear, truth becomes treason, and justice becomes an illusion.

10. Breaking the Wall of Impunity

To dismantle elite-backed terrorism, Nigeria needs more than new laws; it needs political courage. The following steps are essential:

• Expose the financiers: Publish and prosecute the names of those funding or protecting terrorist and bandit networks, regardless of status.

• Reform the judiciary and security agencies: Create independent mechanisms to investigate high-level corruption tied to insecurity.

• Protect whistleblowers and journalists: Without truth-tellers, impunity thrives.

• Strengthen local governance: Empower communities to take ownership of their security through transparent, community-based policing.

• Reclaim the moral voice: Religious and traditional leaders must speak boldly against the use of faith for political gain.

Accountability is not vengeance — it is the restoration of Ubuntu, where justice binds the community back together.

11. The Enemy Within

The tragedy of Nigeria’s war on terror is that the enemy is not only in the forests but also in the corridors of power. The gunmen in the bush are symptoms; the real disease festers in offices where decisions are made and truths are buried.

Until Nigeria confronts this reality — that terror is both a battlefield problem and a political enterprise — no peace will last. Guns can kill insurgents, but only justice can kill the system that breeds them.

The silence of the powerful is not neutrality; it is betrayal. And until that silence is broken, northern Nigeria will remain trapped between two evils — those who terrorize the people, and those who protect the terrorists.