ARISE News analyst Dayo Sobowale has stated that Nigeria’s worsening insecurity should be treated primarily as a security challenge rather than being broadly classified as a human rights crisis.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News while reacting to the National Human Rights Commission’s May 2026 Human Rights Situation Dashboard, Sobowale said the report appeared to blur the distinction between human rights violations, humanitarian concerns, and public safety challenges.
“Nigeria’s security crisis should not be confused with human rights violations,” he said.
According to Sobowale, issues such as terrorism, kidnappings, banditry, and attacks on communities should be viewed principally through the lens of national security.
“There is a mix-up,” he stated.
He emphasized that human rights concerns and security challenges, while related, should not automatically be treated as the same issue.
“You don’t mix human rights with humanitarian issues and public safety issues,” he said.
Sobowale maintained that the country’s foremost challenge remains the inability to guarantee safety and public order.
“We need law and order,” he stated.
According to him, citizens cannot fully enjoy their rights if government is unable to provide adequate security.
“You need to be safe before you can observe human rights,” he said.
Sobowale warned against placing human rights debates above the urgent need to restore security across the country.
“We should not prioritise human rights over security,” he stated.
He stated that insecurity has become one of Nigeria’s most serious national challenges, affecting education, economic activity, and public confidence.
“We have serious security problems,” he said.
According to Sobowale, Nigeria has yet to make sufficient progress in defeating groups challenging the authority of the state.
“We have not made progress in subduing those challenging government’s ability to ensure safety,” he stated.
He also pointed to instability across the Sahel region as a major factor worsening insecurity in Nigeria.
“The Sahel is the most dangerous place in the world,” he said.
Sobowale argued that the movement of armed groups, displacement, and regional instability continue to place pressure on Nigeria’s security architecture.
“What is driving people from the Sahel is hunger, the search for water, safety and a better life,” he stated.
According to him, government must focus on restoring public safety and enforcing the rule of law.
“Government must wake up to its responsibility and disarm them,” he said.
Sobowale maintained that defeating violent groups remains essential to national stability and development.
“We should defeat them,” he stated.
Sobowale concluded that while human rights concerns deserve attention, Nigeria’s immediate priority should be restoring law and order, arguing that security remains the foundation upon which citizens can fully enjoy their rights and pursue economic and social wellbeing.
Ojo Triumph
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