The month of June began with applause for Nigeria’s top security and anti-graft agencies but quickly spiraled into a grim reminder of the nation’s deep-seated vulnerabilities. From deadly massacres in Benue state and chilling ransom demands by bandit warlords to corruption battles shadowed by fresh allegations, the month unfolded as a reality check on the country’s most critical institutions.
What started as commendation soon gave way to confrontation, revealing the cracks in Nigeria’s ongoing wars against terror and corruption. The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) opened June with glowing endorsements. Former presidential aide Reno Omokri hailed NSA Nuhu Ribadu as “the most honest man in Nigeria,” praising his integrity and strategic approach, while the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration received credit for strengthening intelligence coordination and prioritising national security.
However, optimism waned swiftly. Armed bandits stormed communities in Benue state, looting, injuring, and killing. Other attacks followed across the North-central and North-east zones. Most chilling was the demand by notorious bandit leader Bello Turji, who allegedly requested a ₦50 million “farming pass” in Zamfara state, a terrifying move that effectively placed rural agriculture under criminal siege. Despite Ribadu’s earlier calls to address poverty as a root cause of violence, the escalation in bloodshed reignited doubts over strategy and coordination.
Further undermining confidence, Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa admitted that faulty intelligence had contributed to the Benue tragedy. Troops were reportedly misled about the movement of armed herders, suggesting internal sabotage and highlighting a critical failure in intelligence-sharing structures.
Nonetheless, such lapses underscore the urgent need for both internal and external audits of security operatives, with many analysts advocating a complete overhaul of operational tactics. The National Intelligence Agency (NIA), they argue, must shift from passive data collection to proactively dismantling terrorist logistics, as the enemy now fights a war of stealth — and seems better informed.
Amid public pressure, President Tinubu eventually visited Benue and ordered an aggressive manhunt for the attackers. Special forces were deployed, and the Department of State Services (DSS) joined efforts to neutralise the assailants. While commendable, many Nigerians insist that temporary troop deployments offer no lasting solution. “We need a permanent fix,” said community leaders from Plateau and Benue states. Their message is clear: peace must not be seasonal.
Meanwhile, the DSS entered June with strong operational momentum, neutralising 45 bandits in Niger state and thwarting a kidnapping plot. It also reasserted institutional control by relocating Nnamdi Kanu’s trial to its headquarters. Yet, the agency soon stumbled into controversy. After the Benue massacre, DSS operatives detained activist “Flag Boy” for displaying a banner calling for an end to the killings.
The arrest sparked public outrage, with protesters accusing the agency of suppressing dissent instead of targeting terrorists. This incident starkly exposed the fine line between safeguarding national security and upholding civil liberties.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for its part, experienced a turbulent yet impactful month. Former chairman Abdulrasheed Bawa resurfaced with explosive allegations about how $450 million vanished through petrol subsidy fraud, rekindling debates on Nigeria’s entrenched corruption.
Current EFCC chairman Ola Olukoyede made headlines with mass arrests of internet fraudsters in Uyo, Kaduna, and Abuja, lamenting how “Yahoo Boys” had shamed Nigeria on the global stage. Yet, critics swiftly called out the double standards. “What about corrupt politicians?” one commentator asked. “Are they our national pride or national shame?”
Nevertheless, the EFCC pushed forward. Notable cases included the arrest of a former NNPCL finance boss over a $7.2 billion fraud; the detention of the Benue governor’s aide for alleged extortion and cyberbullying; the arraignment of former Power Minister Olu Agunloye, who claimed the commission was out to smear him over the Mambilla project; and a courtroom standoff in which a judge berated the EFCC for defying court orders on vacating a disputed property. Olukoyede’s stern declaration — “There shall be no re-looting of recovered assets” — struck a bold note, but Nigerians are watching to see if action will match rhetoric.
While the EFCC dominated the headlines, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) quietly chalked up a string of measured victories. It arraigned a former Court of Appeal staff for a ₦9.2 million job scam, recovered ₦20 billion in 2024 alone, and saw its chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), embark on a tour of the Lagos office, urging innovation, efficiency, and integrity.
Similarly, at a roundtable in Ilorin, Dr. Aliyu emphasised the agency’s preference for preventive strategies. “It’s less costly and more strategic than post-fraud prosecutions,” he said. Indeed, the ICPC’s slow, meticulous approach may not grab headlines, but it is quietly restoring faith in institutional accountability.
Ultimately, June offered a snapshot of Nigeria’s paradox — commendable effort colliding with persistent failure. Terrorists remain emboldened, fraudsters evolve, and some security actors appear complicit. Yet, this report is more than a chronicle of chaos; it is a call to action. For ONSA, DSS, NIA, EFCC, and ICPC alike, the message is urgent: Nigeria cannot keep circling the same battlefield while the enemy evolves.
The time has come to restructure intelligence networks, reform internal ethics, and revise strategic playbooks. Bandits, terrorists, and looters must never see it coming again. If June taught us anything, it is this — we cannot wait for the next massacre before we act.