Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has warned that Nigeria’s worsening insecurity cannot be resolved through military action alone, insisting that youth unemployment must be addressed as a core part of the country’s counter-terrorism strategy.
Falana said while equipping and motivating the armed forces remains critical to defeating terrorism and banditry, failure to confront widespread joblessness among young people will continue to fuel criminality across the country.
Speaking during an interaction with journalists in his hometown of Ilawe-Ekiti, Ekiti State, at the weekend, the senior advocate argued that social insecurity has become a breeding ground for violent crimes, including kidnapping, banditry and insurgency.
According to him, many young Nigerians, shut out of economic opportunities and productive engagement, are easily drawn into criminal networks that thrive on desperation and poverty.
“You cannot end insecurity in a country without addressing social insecurity,” Falana said. “If young people are unemployed and unemployment is on the increase, some of them are likely to be driven to criminality. It is often said that ‘the devil finds work for idle hands.”
He stressed that while public attention is often focused on military hardware and security operations, the deeper causes of violence are rooted in neglect of education, employment and social welfare.
Falana maintained that Nigeria’s armed forces are capable of defeating terrorists and bandits if properly equipped and motivated, but warned that corruption and poor governance have weakened the overall security framework.
He lamented that funds meant for the procurement of arms and ammunition were allegedly diverted by powerful individuals, leaving soldiers under-equipped while criminal groups appear better armed.
The senior advocate also criticised the judicial system for what he described as its failure to hold perpetrators accountable, citing cases where suspects accused of looting security funds were discharged on technical grounds.
According to him, the combination of stolen defence funds, poorly motivated security personnel and mass youth unemployment has created a dangerous cycle that continues to undermine national stability.
Falana further cautioned against foreign military intervention in Nigeria’s security challenges, particularly narratives that frame the crisis along religious lines. He warned that such narratives could deepen divisions in an already fragile society.
“The criminals that are killing Nigerians do not care about religion,” he said, adding that insecurity should be tackled as a national problem rather than reduced to ethnic or religious sentiment.
He urged the Federal Government to adopt a holistic security approach that balances military strength with economic empowerment, job creation and accountability in public spending.
Falana concluded that securing Nigeria remains a constitutional responsibility of the government, calling on citizens to demand transparency, social investment and decisive action to restore peace across the country.
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