Nigeria's deteriorating internal security is being directly fuelled by escalating instability across neighboring territories, the country's top military commander warned on Sunday.
Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, stated that regional crises are actively worsening domestic threats, creating an increasingly complex web of violence. He noted that the country is simultaneously battling terrorism, banditry, and transnational crime exacerbated by external vulnerabilities.
“Beyond Nigeria’s borders, instability within the Lake Chad Basin, the Sahel Region and along the Gulf of Guinea continues to influence and exacerbate the domestic threat environment,” Oluyede said during a keynote lecture at the 2026 Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL) in Port Harcourt.
According to a report by the Daily Post Nigeria, the military chief pointed to porous borders, ethnic fractures, and a massive influx of illegal small arms as catalysts magnifying the crisis. The geographic vulnerability of the Lake Chad Basin has long allowed insurgent networks like ISWAP to evade capture by slipping across international boundaries.
To counter these fluid, cross-border networks, Oluyede announced a strategic pivot toward advanced defence technologies. The military is currently expanding its deployment of artificial intelligence, cyber defence mechanisms, and unmanned aerial systems to monitor remote border corridors.
While expanding high-tech capabilities, the military command is also prioritising human rights and civilian protection. The establishment of dedicated Human Rights Desks aims to foster public trust and strengthen crucial intelligence-sharing ties with local border communities.