Nigeria’s Sovereignty ‘Paper Thin’—Minority Whip Warns as Nation Bleed
Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, Hon. George Ozodinobi, on Wednesday issued a searing indictment of Nigeria’s worsening security crisis, warning that the nation’s sovereignty is “fast becoming paper thin” as terrorists continue to unleash bloodshed across the country.
Speaking during a special plenary convened to confront the escalating violence, Ozodinobi lamented the surge in coordinated terrorist attacks, mass abductions, and targeted killings of civilians and senior military officers. He said communities across the North West, North East, and North Central have become “war zones,” while highways, schools, and farmlands no longer offer safety.
Recent killings of top military commanders have deepened public anxiety and raised fears about the state’s capacity to defend both citizens and its own security forces. Fresh abductions in Papiri and Kamba, along with deadly raids in Plateau, Kaduna, and Borno, he noted, underscore the crumbling state of Nigeria’s security architecture.
In a passionate contribution, the lawmaker questioned whether Nigeria could still lay claim to sovereignty when terrorists continue to murder citizens and commanders with impunity.
“Is this what we call sovereignty?” Ozodinobi asked. “When commanders are being murdered and the government remains muted? When children can no longer attend school safely? Our roads and communities have become open slaughter grounds.”
He warned that the nation must stop pretending that “all is normal” when unchecked violence is steadily eroding its authority and territorial integrity.
According to him, a country that cannot protect even one citizen is already failing its most fundamental obligation. “If a senior military officer can be killed this easily, then what is sovereignty worth when the state cannot defend its own?” he queried.
Ozodinobi acknowledged President Bola Tinubu’s history of courage from the democracy struggle to driving major legislative reforms and urged him to “summon that courage once again at this critical juncture.”
“I have seen Mr. President show courage many times. That courage is needed now more than ever,” he stressed.
Speaking on the legal controversies surrounding Nnamdi Kanu’s case, Ozodinobi explained that while the judiciary has delivered judgment based on evidence, the responsibility now rests squarely with the President.
“We are not begging today; we are insisting,” he declared. “Mr. President has a historic opportunity to act. Within the constitutional window, he must use the powers available to him to ensure justice prevails.”
He urged the federal government to abandon what he described as its “hesitant, overly cautious approach” and respond decisively in honour of the many lives already lost.
