Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has warned that Northern Nigeria could slide into war without urgent action.
He condemned rising terrorist and bandit attacks, urging swift, coordinated security measures to protect vulnerable communities.
Presidential aspirant and political strategist, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has raised alarm over the worsening insecurity in Northern Nigeria, cautioning that the region risks descending into war if urgent national measures are not taken against terrorism and banditry.
In a statement, Olawepo-Hashim expressed sympathy to families affected by the recent bandit raid in Oke Ode, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, where 15 people, including local vigilantes and the Baale of the community, lost their lives. He also demanded immediate security action to rescue residents abducted in the attack.
The politician disclosed that two months ago, he held a security discussion with Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, who also serves as Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum. He explained that he had presented a security trend analysis for Kwara and the wider North, but recent events showed that the crisis was beyond the capacity of the state government to handle despite the governor’s efforts.
Olawepo-Hashim warned that terrorist groups appear to be positioning themselves to establish control in some Northern states, depending on the political direction of the 2027 elections. He pointed to the North Central as the most likely flashpoint.
He described the Oke Ode killings as another grim reminder of the escalating violence, linking it to similar attacks previously recorded in Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Niger, Baruteen, and Pategi areas.
The former presidential candidate also accused Nigeria’s ruling elite of being disconnected from the realities faced by ordinary citizens, arguing that while communities are left vulnerable, many leaders appear indifferent or focused on personal interests.
Olawepo-Hashim urged for a swift, professional, and coordinated security response across all levels of government, warning that Nigeria cannot afford to allow extremist groups and criminal networks to entrench themselves in ungoverned territories.
