A Nigerian lawmaker has ignited a firestorm by advocating for the federal government to enlist foreign mercenaries in the fight against terrorism and banditry ravaging the country.
The legislator, Ahmed Jaha, a House member from troubled Northeast Borno State, contends that the Nigerian military needs reinforcements to decisively defeat Boko Haram and other insurgent groups. His argument emphasizes that foreign mercenaries’ specialized training and combat experience would provide a crucial advantage.
Nigeria has been grappling with extremist groups in the northeast for years. The Boko Haram insurgency, which began in 2009, has left a trail of tens of thousands dead and displaced millions. Jaha said Nigeria’s security forces have failed to end violent attacks across the country despite the government’s huge allocation to security. Between 2015 and 2023, he said, more than N19 trillion (US$13.7 billion) was budgeted for security, yet the conflict persists.
“We are going to organize a movement to present a position paper on the attempt to bring mercenaries to bring an end to insecurity since our security agencies have failed Nigerians,” said the lawmaker on Tuesday.
This is not the first time the idea of mercenaries has been raised. In 2021, calls for foreign support were made by Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno state. Previously, under President Goodluck Jonathan, foreign contractors were utilized, but President Muhammadu Buhari terminated the contracts upon taking office, calling it “disgraceful.”
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
