Badaru Playing Politics With Insecurity

A recent claim by the Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, that Boko Haram and other terrorists’ drones are normal drones used by civilians and not sophisticated, and his dismissal of the National Security Summit being proposed by the National Assembly, have raised concerns that the minister is playing politics with the country’s insecurity, Ejiofor Alike reports

Playing politics with insecurity has become the pastime of Nigeria’s political leaders, a development, which has contributed to the unending insecurity across the country.

A typical case was the recent attempt by the Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, to downplay the weapons used by terrorists to attack military targets across the country.

Badaru had dismissed the drones used by these terrorists to attack security operatives, describing them as “normal, civilian drones,” and “not sophisticated drones”. 

“The drones they use for attacks are just small drones that even the media use, but with the capacity to carry 1 or 2 kg of explosives that they can detonate. That is what they have for now,” the minister said at the seventh edition of the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing Series, held at the National Press Centre, Radio House, Abuja.

According to Badaru, “it is not a sophisticated drone, and it is not an armed drone with strategic guidance; it is an improvised system.”

But speaking at a recent media briefing held in Maiduguri the Borno State capital, the Theatre Commander of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, countered Badaru’s claims.

At the media briefing, Abubakar raised concerns over the growing use of “armed drones” by the Boko Haram terrorists in the North-east, warning that such tactics were difficult to detect using conventional radar systems.

He explained that some of the drones deployed by the insurgents were similar to the ones used in countries like Israel and Ukraine.

“Since November last year, we’ve seen terrorists deploying weaponised drones—similar to those used in Israel and Ukraine. These drones are hard to detect with conventional radar,” Abubakar said.

 This was not the first attempt by the defence minister to downplay the country’s security challenges.

He had during a recent inter-ministerial briefing, dismissed the proposed security summit by the Senate, suggesting that developing a security strategy would be more effective than convening a summit.

Badaru, who downplayed the importance of the proposed security summit by the Senate, stressed that it cannot substitute for well-thought-out military strategies.

Reacting to his comments, the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio and the Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele warned Badaru to refrain from making statements capable of sparking tension between the executive and legislative arms of government.

The Senate’s angry reaction forced Badaru to rescind his position and pledge full support for the summit.

Describing the proposed summit as “a timely initiative to tackle Nigeria’s growing security concerns”, Badaru expressed his commitment to participate in the two-day event and ensure its outcome translates into concrete actions.

The defence minister had also differed with the House of Representatives over the lawmakers’ claims that insurgents possessed more sophisticated weaponry than the military.

The lawmakers had described the recent attacks on military targets as evidence that Boko Haram insurgents were better equipped than the Nigerian troops.

In his contribution to a motion by Ahmed Satomi (APC-Borno) on the fire incident at the 127 Battalion armoury in Giwa Barracks and the increasing wave of attacks on military bases in Borno and Yobe states, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi (APC, Plateau), claimed that over the years, Boko Haram insurgents carted away arms worth trillions of naira in their attacks on military formations in the North-east.

“How can we guarantee the safety of the Nigerian people in the circumstance that the platforms that are meant to protect these people have been taken away by the enemies of the people?” he queried.

Earlier in his lead debate, Satomi had noted that several military installations came under heavy assault, resulting in the loss of lives of soldiers and civilians.

Also contributing to the motion, Ahmed Jaha (APC, Borno), said Boko Haram was staging a dangerous comeback, now using sophisticated, weaponised drones to launch attacks.

Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum last Wednesday corroborated the position of the federal lawmakers.

Speaking as a guest during a television interview, Zulum said: “The army does not have the necessary equipment on ground to fight the insurgency. Right now, the insurgents are using drones to fight soldiers on the ground.”

He added: “A few days ago, I visited the Chief of Army Staff. He said he is looking for about 32 drones and he would end the insurgency.”

Zulum insisted that President Tinubu should “listen to those that can distinguish between the right and wrong – those that can tell him the right thing and not sycophants.

“A few days ago, I said there is an insurgency in Borno state. Some people said there is no insecurity in Borno State. We should not politicise insecurity.”

But Badaru dismissed the claims by the federal lawmakers that terrorist groups wield superior firepower over the country’s armed forces, insisting that the challenge was not a lack of firepower but rather the unpredictable tactics used by terrorists, often aided by informants within local communities.

“Yesterday, the House of Representatives said that the terrorists have better weapons than us. That is absolutely not true. We have much more sophisticated weapons and we have much more sophisticated drones.

“The issue is, this war is not a conventional war. It’s like a guerrilla war. They watch us; they have informants around us.

“They help the people that we try to protect, and they give them information, then they jump at us the way we don’t expect when they know that our surveillance mechanism is watching other directions.”

Badaru’s excuses have fuelled calls for his sack by those who considered him unfit to manage the country’s worsening security crisis.

The Afenifere Youth Vanguard for Peace in Nigeria (AYPN) had stated that Badaru lacks the competence and commitment required to secure the country.

 “There is no excuse for what is happening under Badaru’s watch. The Defence Ministry is not a reward for political loyalty; it is the backbone of Nigeria’s safety, and it has collapsed under him,” said president of the AYPN, Olatunji Fadare.

 “Badaru is too old, too out-of-touch, and too distracted by ambition to lead a wartime ministry. If we were at peace, maybe he could coast. But we are fighting for our survival — and he’s not even present,” Fadare said.

The group also accused the minister of being distracted by his alleged presidential ambition.