The recent petition to the security agencies by a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, alleging that powerful agents of the ruling All Progressives Congress were collaborating with Lakurawa terrorist group and foreign mercenaries to destabilise Kebbi State should not be swept under the carpet like other similar allegations, Ejiofor Alike writes
Since 2015 when the All Progressives Congress (APC) sacked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from power, allegations of importing foreign mercenaries have continued to be made against the ruling party by its former chieftains, who were part of the party’s success story.
The spread of bandits and foreign mercenaries to all parts of Nigeria after the 2015 general election fuelled the allegations that agents of the ruling party had imported bandits from the neighbouring countries to destablise the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
It is shocking to many Nigerians that security and intelligence agencies have refused to conduct investigations into these allegations while bandits and new terror groups continue to overrun the country.
In the North-west, the Lakurawa terrorist group in the northern part of Kebbi State and Sokoto State, was said to have entered Nigeria from Mali.
Similarly, in the North-central states of Niger and Kwara, another new terror group, Mahmuda, is wreaking havoc.
These groups also threaten the security of other states that share boundaries with these states.
It is against this background that the allegations of collaborating with Lakurawa terrorist group and importing mercenaries to destabilise Kebbi State levelled against the agents of the ruling party by a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, should be investigated.
In a petition dated September 10, 2025, and addressed to the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; the Department of State Services (DSS), Inspector General of Police (IG); the Comptroller-Generals of Immigration and Civil Defence, as well as other security agencies, Malami alleged a coordinated plot to destabilise Kebbi State through the importation of political thugs, foreign mercenaries, and illegal arms trafficking.
He claimed that powerful political actors were behind the security threats in the state.
According to the statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mohammad Doka, the former AGF, who also leads the African Democratic Congress (ADC), in the state, accused some politicians of collaborating with foreign mercenaries from the Niger Republic and arming them through illegal channels.
The petition further accused some of the political figures in the state of having covert ties with the Lakurawa terrorist group.
Malami described the development as “a national security emergency” that transcends local politics and poses a direct threat to Nigeria’s sovereignty.
He, therefore, urged the NSA and other security chiefs to urgently coordinate inter-agency efforts, secure border communities against infiltration, and investigate the alleged collusion between state officials and terrorist elements.
Malami had earlier alleged that suspected thugs attacked his convoy in Birnin Kebbi on September 1, 2025, vandalising about 10 vehicles and injuring his supporters.
He described the incident as “painful and unfortunate,” alleging the attackers came from the APC secretariat.
But the APC denied involvement, with its spokesman, Isa Assalafy saying that, “no government that enjoys the massive support of the people and is confident of victory in 2027 would want the peace of the state disrupted.”
He claimed that it was the security agents in Malami’s convoy that fired shots.
However, without waiting for security agencies to conduct an investigation, the Kebbi State lawmakers at the National Assembly, led by the former governor of the state, Senator Adamu Aliero, also dismissed Malami’s allegations.
The federal lawmakers also made a counter allegation that the former AGF imported political thugs from Sokoto and other neighbouring states to attack the APC secretariat in Birnin Kebbi.
But the pertinent question to ask is: If Malami imported thugs into the state, why did the federal lawmakers wait until the former AGF raised such grave allegations in his petition before they came up with the accusation?
The lawmakers described Malami’s petition as baseless and politically motivated, accusing him of trying to undermine peace in the state.
“The allegations are false, unfounded, and desperate. Ironically, during Malami’s condolence visit to Birnin Kebbi, he brought in thugs who attacked the APC State Secretariat. This is an unprecedented development in Kebbi politics, which has always been known for peace,” the lawmakers claimed.
They also urged the security agencies to invite the former minister.
In his response, Malami accused the lawmakers of prioritising politics over the safety of citizens, stressing that their argument was misplaced.
“It is misplaced in the sense that they (the lawmakers) are not calling for increased security, even when people are dying every day as a result of bandit attacks. Bandits are attacking, sending people away, and destroying their properties, including their cattle, among others.”
Meanwhile, the Kebbi State House of Assembly also dismissed as “baseless and politically motivated” allegations by the former AGF.
Speaking at a press conference in Birnin Kebbi, the Speaker of the House, Muhammad Usman said Malami’s claims were deliberately designed to incite fear and smear the reputation of both the government and the people of Kebbi State.
Kebbi State governor, Nasir Idris, has also responded to the petition by the former AGF, describing it as a campaign of calumny aimed at discrediting his administration.
Speaking while receiving the leadership of the Kebbi State Coalition of Civil Society Organisations at the Government House, Birnin Kebbi, the governor condemned what he described Malami’s allegations that his government was importing mercenaries as false and frivolous.
“We have just held a security meeting, and security agencies are already investigating such petitions. This is the height of irresponsibility by the opposition because it is pure falsehood,” he said.
Apart from Malami’s allegations, the administration of Governor Idris had faced public backlash following the arrest of a social media influencer who had criticised the poor state of the healthcare system in Kebbi State.
While Nigerians await the actions of intelligence agencies on Malami’s petition, the former minister had recently confirmed honouring an invitation by the DSS over the attack on his convoy in Kebbi State earlier this month.
In a statement issued and shared on his personal social media handle, Malami disclosed that the invitation was connected to the September 1, 2025, assault on his person and convoy.
He described the development as part of ongoing investigations triggered by petitions, including one he earlier submitted to the DSS over threats to his life.
“I can confirm that I have been invited by the Department of State Services (DSS) to support an investigation into an attack on my person and convoy in Kebbi State on the 1st of September, 2025,” Malami said.
The DSS and other security agencies should carry out open and transparent investigations into the former minister’s petition to unmask those behind the importation of terrorists that unleashed terror on Kebbi State and other parts of the country.
