A security expert has indicated that the government is winning the war on terror because of a lack of political will to ensure legislation.
In a nation where experts blame the situation on weak institutions and poor policy articulation, a security analyst, Yusuf Zariyi, expressed disappointment that terrorists and their sponsors are not brought to justice.
The advocate for justice made this position known during an exclusive interview with Advocatus Africa on 23 January 2026, when he decried that “The government is not winning the war on terrorism because none of those fingered as being the sponsors of these murderous groups has been either eliminated or jailed.”
Touching on the moral burden the situation has caused, the Human Rights activist stressed that “It is all left for Nigerians to keep second-guessing.”
“The government is not winning the war on terrorism because none of those fingered as being the sponsors of these murderous groups has been either eliminated or jailed.” – Zariyi
Zariyi suggested that unless the government matches the firepower of the insurgents, victory will remain out of sight.
“Until security agencies in Nigeria demonstrate the moral will to engage sponsors of terrorism as ruthlessly as the Islamist fighters themselves, I do not think we can see any success in the war against terrorism,” he said.
Beyond what can be done locally, the Lecturer in the Department of Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy, Veritas University, Abuja, underlined that the “International intervention, especially from the US, is a more effective and sincere approach to eliminating terrorists. Of course, it will not be an invasion of Nigeria but a more profound approach that will impact the massacres and bring them to an end.”
The security analyst said, “There couldn’t be a more noble cause than intervening to save lives. It is a welcome development, and I look forward to seeing more measures taken to bring an end to terrorism in Nigeria.”
“The Sokoto strike was a clear message that the war is now brought to their doorstep.” – Zariyi
On what he thinks about criticism coming from some quarters that the US should have targeted the northeast and the Lake Chad regions, where Boko Haram and ISWAP have held sway for over 2 decades, instead of targeting ISIS in the northwest, Yusuf clarified that “I think people have missed the point about Sokoto. It is a breeding ground and a safe haven for Lakurawa, a terrorist group with more international recognition than Boko Haram.”
The former National Coordinator of the Middle Belt Patriots reasoned that “They may be more devastating in the Northeast, but the Sokoto strike was a clear message that the war is now brought to their doorstep.”
