Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has raised alarm over the growing firepower and sophistication of bandits and terrorist groups operating across Nigeria, warning that they now possess weapons and resources that surpass those of the Nigerian military.
Speaking on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Monday, Lawal said the insurgent groups have access to significant funding, advanced technology, and logistical support, enabling them to carry out increasingly deadly attacks on civilians and security personnel.
He noted that the groups have continued to evolve in tactics and equipment, including the deployment of drones to strike military locations.
“The resources at their disposal are so enormous that most of the time, they are better armed than the soldiers. What they are yet to acquire now are helicopters and bombs, but we already hear of them using drones,” Lawal stated.
The former SGF, who served under ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, questioned how poorly educated and untrained militants could access such sophisticated weaponry without support from powerful enablers.
“If it’s just a primitive, uneducated, bush-living Fulani man, how does he get the knowledge? Somebody somewhere must be funding them. If people don’t call out their own when they commit violence, then they share responsibility,” he said.
