Military Force Alone Cannot End Insecurity, Good Governance Is the Real Solution — Brig Gen Martins
The Commander of Sector 2, Operation HADIN KAI, Brigadier General Martins, has stressed that military operations alone cannot completely resolve Nigeria’s security challenges, insisting that good governance remains the most critical factor in addressing the root causes of insurgency, banditry and other forms of violent crime.
The senior military officer stated this during an interview while explaining that kinetic operations account for only a fraction of the broader solution required to restore lasting peace and stability across the country.
According to him, military action represents only about 30 percent of the overall response to insecurity, while the remaining 70 percent depends largely on effective governance and socio-economic development.
“The remaining 70 percent is good governance,” Brig Gen Martins stated.
He explained that sustainable peace can only be achieved when governments at all levels invest meaningfully in infrastructure, education, economic opportunities and social services capable of improving the living conditions of citizens.
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“This includes infrastructure development, education, economic opportunities and social services. Once these are in place, many of the so-called ‘circumstantial criminals’ will disappear because people will have legitimate means of livelihood,” he said.
The commander observed that widespread unemployment and economic hardship continue to create fertile ground for criminal recruitment by insurgent and bandit groups, especially among vulnerable youths.
“If states have thriving industries and factories, young people will be engaged productively instead of being available for recruitment by Boko Haram, bandits or kidnappers,” he noted.
Brig Gen Martins further argued that addressing the socio-economic drivers of insecurity would substantially reduce pressure on security forces, enabling the military and other agencies to focus their attention on hardened criminal elements.
“When governance addresses the root causes of insecurity, the burden on security forces reduces significantly, leaving only a small percentage of hardened criminals for the military and other security agencies to deal with,” he added.
The remarks align with growing calls by security experts and stakeholders for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to tackling insecurity, combining military operations with aggressive socio-economic reforms, youth empowerment and community development initiatives.