Foreign Interests Fueling Insecurity in Nigeria, Says Daniel Bwala

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communications, Daniel Bwala, has alleged that foreign interests are contributing to Nigeria’s prolonged security challenges, citing cross-border terrorism and the involvement of foreign nationals in insurgent activities.

Speaking during The Link Up Podcast organised by Echoo Room, Bwala identified terrorism spilling over from the Sahel region as one of the major drivers of insecurity in Nigeria.

According to him, terrorist groups operating in neighbouring Sahel countries frequently launch attacks on Nigerian communities before retreating across the country’s borders.

“Nigeria is also a country where there are foreign interests against the country,” Bwala said.

He also questioned the activities of some humanitarian organisations that arrived in the North-East at the height of the Boko Haram insurgency.

“Many years ago, when Boko Haram started in Borno State, the non-governmental organisations that came for humanitarian so to speak, came and were renting houses for 10 to 15 years.

“How do you know you will need to stay for 10 to 15 years? What kind of projection did you do?” he asked.

Bwala further claimed that security agencies had, on several occasions, arrested foreign nationals among suspected Boko Haram members captured during military operations.

“The army on many occasions has arrested Boko Haram members, and in their midst you will find foreign nationals.

“These are some of the elements that are not only fuelling the crisis, but they make the end to the crisis difficult,” he said.

The presidential aide added that although foreign nationals had allegedly been arrested alongside insurgents, the military had deliberately withheld information about their identities and countries of origin for security reasons.

Bwala’s comments come amid ongoing efforts by the Federal Government and security agencies to curb insurgency, banditry and other forms of violent crime, particularly in Nigeria’s North-East and North-West regions, where attacks by armed groups continue to pose significant security and humanitarian challenges.