Opinion: WE FAILED HIM — AND WE MUST FACE THE TRUTH
By Alex Ehi Aidaghese
Nigeria has lost yet another gallant military officer—ambushed, killed, and left unrecovered for hours. This is not just a tragedy; it is a national failure.
And part of that failure sits squarely at the feet of Northern political leaders who, through silence and moral cowardice, have helped create a climate where human life feels cheap. When Deborah was burned alive in Sokoto State a few years ago, and no leader spoke with conviction, a dangerous message was sent: that violence is negotiable.
It is time for accountability. The Minister of Defence, Minister of State for Defence, and Chief of Defence Staff should resign.
Ambushes of this nature rarely happen without leaks—routes, timing, intelligence. There are documented cases of sympathy within the ranks for bandits and terrorists. The military must investigate itself with honesty. We must separate patriots from pretenders.
Worse still, the operational failure is staggering. If our forces cannot locate and rescue a high-ranking officer on home soil within 24 hours, then something is fundamentally broken—our training, our planning, our technology, our leadership. This is not a small crack; it is a gaping hole in our security architecture.
My heart is with the bereaved family. Nigeria failed their son. And we must confront a hard truth: after years of filling the military and public service with our children, cousins, and loyalists, competence has collapsed.
We have sidelined disciplined, capable patriots—pushed them out because of politics, envy, ethnic loyalties, or their refusal to compromise standards and integrity.
This nation cannot survive on nepotism and sentiment. Lives are at stake. National security is at stake. We must stop glorifying banditry, stop tolerating betrayal within the ranks, and build a defence system anchored on competence, courage, and integrity.
Until then, tragedies like this will not just continue—they will define us. And that is a fate Nigeria cannot afford.
