2027: Groups Warn Politicians Not To Weaponise Security Gains

Two major civil society organisations have cautioned politicians against turning Nigeria’s security challenges into campaign tools ahead of the 2027 elections, insisting that significant counter-terrorism gains must not be sacrificed for partisan advantage.

The Movement for the Survival of Izon Ethnic Nationality (MOSIEND) and the Congress of Youth Leaders of Nigeria (COYLON) issued the warning in a joint statement signed by MOSIEND President, Dr. Kennedy Tonjo West, and COYLON National President, Comrade Isaac Owoicho, following what they described as a review of official security briefings, operational reports, and independent assessments nationwide.

The groups accused unnamed political actors of peddling unverified or inflated claims about the security situation for electoral mileage, warning that such misinformation risks eroding public confidence in security institutions.

“National security is too important to become a tool for political propaganda,” the groups said, cautioning against framing terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping in partisan or ethnic terms. They called on politicians to exercise restraint in their public statements, while tasking relevant agencies to investigate, in line with constitutional provisions,  any credible allegations of terrorism financing, collaboration with criminal elements, incitement, or deliberate disinformation.

Despite their political warning, MOSIEND and COYLON stressed that Nigeria’s counter-terrorism campaign , though unfinished , has recorded gains too significant to be dismissed. According to the statement, intelligence-led operations have intensified under the current security leadership, keeping Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and bandit networks under sustained pressure.

The groups cited Defence Headquarters updates indicating that terrorist enclaves in Sambisa Forest, the Timbuktu Triangle, the Lake Chad axis, and the Mandara Mountains have been overrun, along with armouries, weapons factories, fuel dumps, and supply routes. Troops have recovered or destroyed large quantities of arms, ammunition, explosives, and operational vehicles, they added, while several commanders and fighters have been neutralised.

Sustained military pressure, they said, has also compelled increasing numbers of insurgents and their families to surrender. The resulting disruption to terrorist logistics and command structures, the groups argued, has weakened the insurgency’s operational reach and improved security in communities long troubled by attacks.

MOSIEND and COYLON pointed to the recent rescue of abducted students and teachers in Oyo State as evidence of sharper intelligence coordination among the Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Department of State Services. They described the operation as proof of strengthening inter-agency cooperation, even as they acknowledged that every case of kidnapping remains deeply regrettable. The groups also frowned on the spread of fabricated casualty figures and false reports of military operations, warning that such misinformation could sway public perception ahead of the 2027 electoral cycle.

MOSIEND and COYLON commended President Bola Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Service Chiefs, and the Inspector-General of Police for what they called decisive leadership on the security front.

They comended  troops on the frontlines for sacrifices that have helped reclaim territory and degrade terrorist networks, urging Nigerians to rally behind security agencies, reject misinformation, and support ongoing efforts toward lasting peace and national development.