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December 14, 2025 — Dalena Reporters
Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has called for an immediate, transparent, and independent investigation into disturbing allegations by detained suspects claiming that government officials supplied ammunition and logistical support to suspected terrorists in Kwara State, a development he said deepens Nigeria’s security crisis and raises serious concerns about accountability at the highest levels of government.
Obi took to his official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Sunday to respond to a widely circulated video in which individuals arrested by security authorities reportedly alleged that ammunition and other forms of support were provided to them by unnamed government officials, assertions that have not been publicly confirmed by Nigerian authorities.
“The allegation, now circulating widely, demands nothing less than an immediate, transparent, and independent investigation,” Obi said, warning that such claims strike at the very heart of Nigeria’s decades-long struggle against insecurity. He emphasized that the implications of the allegations—if verified—would be deeply damaging to public trust in government institutions.
Obi lamented that despite “trillions of naira and billions of dollars” spent on security over the years, Nigeria continues to grapple with a widening insecurity crisis marked by persistent cases of kidnapping, banditry, terrorism, and violent crime across multiple regions of the country. “This development gives credence to a long-cited remark attributed to late military ruler General Sani Abacha that ‘any insurgency that lasts more than 24 hours, the government is involved,’” Obi added, invoking a controversial maxim that has been referenced in debates about state complicity in prolonged conflicts.
The former Anambra State governor also referenced observations made by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who had questioned Nigeria’s approach to terrorism despite advances in modern technology such as drones and enhanced tracking tools. Obi argued that the government’s claimed control of telecommunications, intelligence systems, and financial tracking mechanisms should make it easier to locate and neutralize criminal networks, and he challenged why such capabilities have not yielded more effective results.
Obi’s call for an independent probe comes amid ongoing national frustrations over insecurity and demands from civil society and opposition figures for greater transparency and accountability in how security agencies operate and how resources are utilised. Analysts say that while this demand reflects broader public sentiment, the challenge lies in ensuring that any investigation is genuinely impartial, legally sound, and insulated from political interference.
Nigerian authorities have yet to issue an official response to the suspects’ allegations or to Obi’s call for an inquiry, and it remains unclear whether federal or state security agencies will initiate a formal investigation. Observers note that the emerging controversy could fuel further debate over the effectiveness of Nigeria’s security architecture and deepen public scrutiny of government officials’ roles in addressing or inadvertently enabling the very phenomena they are mandated to suppress.