Former presidential candidate, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has stated that it is impossible for military operations alone to combat the insurgency situation in the country.
Speaking after the reported killing of senior Islamic State commander Abu Bilal al-Minuki in a joint operation involving the United States and the Nigerian Armed Forces, Olawepo-Hashim argued that the country must confront the poverty, unemployment and social breakdown fuelling violent extremism.
Applauding the killing of al-Minuki, he said the operation showed the kind of results possible when international intelligence and military coordination work effectively.
In a statement on Saturday, Hashim said the operation reinforced long-standing warnings that extremist groups in Nigeria were pursuing ambitions similar to the Islamic State’s attempts to establish territorial enclaves in conflict zones.
“For over five years, we have consistently advocated for this level of collaboration. This operation underscores what can be achieved when global partners work together sincerely,” he said.
While commending the operation, Hashim warned against treating the killing of senior insurgent figures as a complete answer to Nigeria’s worsening security crisis.
“Nigeria’s counter-terrorism approach must go beyond periodic strikes. It must be deliberate, sustained and focused on eliminating terrorism at its roots,” he stated.
He said military offensives targeting top commanders often leave rural communities exposed to retaliatory attacks by armed groups.
Hashim described the scale of insecurity across the country as alarming, claiming that more than 18,000 Nigerians had been killed by terrorism and related violence within the past three years.
According to him, widespread poverty, illiteracy, unemployment and social deprivation continue to create conditions easily exploited by extremist organisations, particularly among vulnerable young people in Northern Nigeria.