President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given the Nigerian Army and other security forces the marching order to decisively confront and defeat terrorists, bandits, insurgents and separatists threatening the peace and unity of the country.
Represented by the vice president, Senator Kashim Shettima at the grand finale of the 2025 Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL) held at Murtala Muhammed Square, Kaduna yesterday, President Tinubu declared: “To the officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army, I say this with absolute clarity: the time to rise is now. You have my full authorisation and the trust of the Nigerian people to confront and defeat those who seek to undermine our nation. You have my confidence, my support, and my prayers.”
However, the Bishop of Sokoto Diocese and founder of the Kukah Centre, Most Rev. Dr. Mathew Hassan Kukah, has stated that failure to address injustice only leads to greater insecurity in the country.
But Tinubu, who expressed his discomfort with the threats confronting Nigeria, warned that terrorism, insurgency, banditry and separatist agitations were not mere irritants but existential dangers “that destroy churches and mosques alike, and orphan children without asking their tribe or faith.”
He vowed, therefore, that under his leadership, the armed forces’ welfare, morale, and operational capacity would remain top priorities. He pledged continuous investment in modern equipment, intelligence capabilities, and human resources to enable the military to safeguard Nigeria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“We are not oblivious to the challenges that confront our nation. But let it be said plainly: our response must be united, calm and uncompromising. I assure you that this administration stands firmly with you on that path,” he stressed.
The president paid glowing tributes to fallen heroes and wounded personnel, “Many of our finest have fallen in the line of duty. Some now lie in silence beneath the soil of a grateful nation, others carry the wounds of oath as living reminders of sacrifices made in our name.
Their blood will not be shed in vain; their memory will endure through generations.”
President Tinubu also seized the moment to salute the families of serving and fallen soldiers, praising the roles of NAOWA and NASWA in sustaining morale on the home front, while reiterating:
“We have no other country but Nigeria. We must not mortgage our future to division, indifference or delay.
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria and our Armed Forces,” he said.
Earlier in his address, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede underscored the Nigerian Army’s historical resilience since 1863, noting that the force has transformed structurally and technologically.
He added that its most enduring legacy remains “the indomitable spirit, valour and unwavering commitment of the Nigerian soldier.”
He highlighted that this year’s NADCEL, with the theme, “Developing the Soldier First Concept: Imperative for the Nigerian Army Transformation Drive,” was a deliberate effort to place troop welfare and professionalism at the centre of reforms.
The Bishop of Sokoto Diocese and founder of the Kukah Centre, Most Rev. Dr. Mathew Hassan Kukah, has stated that failure to address injustice only leads to greater insecurity in the country.
He pointed out that a country like Nigeria needs to respect the rule of law, lamenting that when mass atrocities occurred, no one considered the long-lasting impacts on the victims and communities; “We often focused more on the perpetrators. The rule of law must come into play.”
Kukah stated this while speaking at the official commissioning of the House of Justice, Jos office complex at the weekend.
The Bishop of Sokoto Diocese also argued that respect for the rule of law is critical in the fight against insecurity, stressing that institutions’ failure to address injustice only leads to more insecurity.
He emphasised that it is essential for a country to adhere strictly to the rule of law to get its bearings, adding that victims of mass activities such as the recent Yelwata killing in Benue State and others are often left behind in the pursuit of justice.
According to him, a credible election devoid of rancour is possible if the civil service is wired correctly, and this will trickle down to credible elections at all levels.
“If we get the civil service right, we would be able to get free and fair elections, but if you do not have the public service that is wired correctly, you will not get the right answer. Public servants in Singapore have higher salaries than bankers and other sectors. As a result, only the best brains go to the public service, and there is no way of comparing this situation with Nigeria at the moment,” he said.
Kukah, therefore, charged Nigerians to always seek justice whenever the need arises instead of withdrawing into themselves and discarding the notion that every judge is corrupt and politicians are criminals.
“So in the future, it is not enough that we have the law or we know the law; the fact is that justice is not something that would be given to you as a gift. The court alone cannot deliver justice until someone approaches it. One of the notions that we must discard is that every politician is a criminal and every judge is corrupt.”
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Nigeria Law Reform Commission, Professor Dakas C.J. Dakas, in his remarks, pointed out that the experience of the Oputa Panel and other similar panels in Nigeria did not encourage repatriation in line with the country’s current problems.
Professor Dakas expressed disappointment that despite the considerable resources invested in the panel, none of the recommendations were implemented. “We therefore need to move to the realm of action so that we can transform lives in profound ways that promote justice. We can learn from the experience of several countries.
“Another thing we can look at is whether we should have a repatriation act. One thing about Oputa is that it was just executive action; there was no enabling law to provide or give room for the panel’s recommendations to be implemented.”
In her opening speech, Gloria Mabeiam, CEO of the House of Justice, highlighted that Nigeria has accumulated an enormous justice debt burden, which it promises to deliver but backtracks on.
She noted that in 1999, former President Olusegun Obasanjo sought to address the long-standing backlog of unresolved justice through the Nigeria Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission, widely known as the Oputa Panel. Despite the significant resources, public trust, and widespread support invested in the panel, its final report—submitted in 2002—was never officially made public, nor were its recommendations implemented.
She further recalled that after the 2007 elections, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua set up the Electoral Reform Committee (ERC), chaired by retired Chief Justice Muhammad Lawal Uwais. The committee’s 2008 report provided a comprehensive blueprint for addressing the structural and legal flaws weakening Nigeria’s electoral system, recommending extensive reforms ranging from institutional changes to procedural enhancements.
Mabeiam said the 2023 general elections laid bare the consequences of the unaddressed issues, adding that the worst-hit state of the annulled public will was Plateau State.
“The Supreme Court of Nigeria did not mince words in expressing deep displeasure at the miscarriage of justice; ironically, the entrenched maxim of law that states that where there is an injury, there shall be a remedy, was honoured in breach,” she said.
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