Dayo Sobowale: Nigeria Has Failed In Handling Insecurity

Sobowale says U.S. travel advisory reflects Nigeria’s real security failings and should prompt urgent government action.

ARISE News analyst Dayo Sobowale has said Nigeria’s handling of insecurity remains inadequate, admitting that the country has “not scored an E” in tackling its worsening security crisis. He said the recent U.S. advisory reflects realities already known within the country and should serve as a wake-up call to authorities.

Speaking in an interview with ARISE News on Thursday, Sobowale made the remarks while reacting to the United States government’s decision to evacuate non-essential embassy staff from Nigeria and issue travel advisories warning its citizens against visiting certain states.

He described the advisory as useful intelligence rather than an overreaction, noting that it merely confirms the country’s long-standing insecurity challenges.

“Well, it’s a welcome development; it’s good information. But they have not told us anything new about the state of our security,” he said.

He stressed that while the advisory should not trigger widespread panic among Nigerians, it must be treated seriously by security agencies responsible for protecting lives and property.

“If they advise their citizens for safety, yes, it is a warning to our security forces to step up efforts,” Sobowale stated.

According to him, the issues raised in the U.S. warning are accurate reflections of conditions already visible across affected regions.

“There is nothing they put in that report that is not correct, that is not on the ground,” he added.

Sobowale also linked the worsening insecurity to what he described as a lack of political will and poor preparedness by the Nigerian state.

“You are correct if you mention lack of will, if you talk of state of unpreparedness yes,” he said.

He maintained that Nigeria’s current response to insecurity falls far below acceptable standards, warning that repeated failures have emboldened threats across the country.

“We have not scored an ‘E’, the way we are handling our security, and we all know that,” he said.

Despite his criticism, Sobowale urged Nigerians not to interpret the advisory as cause for fear, insisting that it should instead be seen as actionable intelligence for the country’s security apparatus.

“Our security forces should act on it and not ignore it. It is good intelligence for our security apparatus to work on,” he said.

Sobowale concluded that while the U.S. warning should not create panic, it highlights urgent gaps in Nigeria’s security management and underscores the need for stronger preparedness, decisive action, and renewed political will.