‘Grassroots Leadership Collapse Aggravating Security Crisis’

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Professor Shehu Abdullahi Zuru, has warned that Nigeria’s worsening insecurity is being aggravated by the collapse of grassroots leadership, dysfunctional public institutions and persistent governance failures, declaring that the country’s security crisis cannot be resolved without rebuilding authority and accountability at the community level.

Zuru said the weakening of local government institutions, declining influence of traditional and religious leaders, widespread poverty and social injustice had created conditions in which intolerance, extremism and organised criminality continued to thrive.

He called on the federal government to address the question of local government autonomy and restore effective grassroots governance, arguing that communities increasingly lack the institutional leadership needed to confront their development challenges, resolve grievances and prevent conflicts.

The senior advocate gave the warning while delivering the lead paper at a policy dialogue organised by the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) in Abuja.

The dialogue, organised by the Network of Policymakers and Religious Leaders to Support Peace, Security and Reconciliation in Nigeria (NPMRL), was held on the theme: ‘Moving Beyond ‘Us versus Them’: Strengthening Local Governance, Security and Foreign Relations to Protect Freedom of Religion or Belief in Nigeria’.

In a particularly strong assessment of the country’s governance crisis, Zuru blamed both state and non-state actors for abandoning their responsibilities, warning that the erosion of leadership and accountability had contributed significantly to the prevailing atmosphere of insecurity and hopelessness.

“The compromised and receding local leadership by both state and non-state actors … as well as moribund formal institutions of public policy and public authority and accountability are only responsible for the current state of hopelessness in our dear country today,” he said.

The SAN argued that the country’s security challenges should not be viewed exclusively through religious or ethnic identities, insisting that poverty, injustice, failed policies and the inability of political leaders to build national consensus were among the deeper forces driving divisions and instability.

According to him, the growing ‘Us versus Them’ mentality reflects a dangerous breakdown of shared values, tolerance and the recognition of common humanity.

He drew parallels with historical atrocities, including Nazi racial supremacy, the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and the 1992 Bosnian conflict, warning that societies that allow hatred and intolerance to flourish risk undermining their social and moral foundations.

Zuru said religious institutions, traditional rulers and community leaders must recover their capacity to influence public conduct, challenge political authorities and promote peaceful coexistence, particularly among young people vulnerable to extremist narratives.

He stressed that community leaders should not remain passive in the face of killings, displacement and growing insecurity, but must actively participate in shaping policies and addressing the grievances fuelling violence.

On the security front, he warned that Nigeria’s response to terrorism, banditry and organised criminality must extend beyond domestic military operations because the networks sustaining such activities often operate across national borders.

He identified cross-border recruitment, financing and logistical support as critical dimensions of the threats, calling for stronger intelligence cooperation, military partnerships and coordinated counter-insurgency strategies with other countries.

“Therefore, clandestine and proactive diplomacy is mandatory for the success of every counter-insurgency initiative meant to subdue these threats,” he said.

Zuru maintained that foreign relations should form an integral part of Nigeria’s national security strategy, stressing the need for genuine international partnerships capable of strengthening the country’s capacity to confront transnational threa

Earlier, the Director-General of IPCR, Dr Joseph Ochogwu, warned that framing Nigeria’s complex security challenges exclusively along religious lines could deepen divisions and undermine efforts to build national cohesion.

Ochogwu, represented by a senior official of the institute, said violations of freedom of religion or belief must be addressed through impartial security responses, inclusive governance and accountability without reinforcing narratives that pit religious communities against one another.

He stressed that constitutional guarantees of religious freedom would remain inadequate without effective institutions, equal application of the law and mechanisms for resolving disputes before they escalate into violence.

He also identified local governance, security governance and foreign relations as priority areas requiring urgent policy interventions, urging participants to translate the dialogue into practical recommendations.

The engagement featured Reverend John Joseph Hayab as discussant and brought together policymakers, religious leaders and other stakeholders to examine ways of strengthening religious freedom, national security and peaceful coexistence

The IPCR said the dialogue was part of efforts to strengthen collaboration between religious leadership and public institutions in conflict prevention, peace building and national reconciliation.