26th October 2025, NewsOrient, Opinion, Column, Security, Governance And Development, News
By John Chukwu Anyim.

Nigeria is drifting once again toward the edge of dangerous uncertainty. From the corridors of power in Abuja to the silent barracks across the nation, whispers are spreading, whispers of frustration, whispers of anger, whispers of betrayal.

In the midst of growing poverty, hunger, and government arrogance, the word “coup” is creeping back into national conversations, like an unwelcome ghost from our dark past.

When governance fails, when leaders stop listening, and when soldiers begin to starve while politicians feast, the drums of discontent begin to beat, softly at first, then louder.

One therefore fears that the new Service Chiefs may have inherited a military that is bleeding, not just from bullets fired by insurgents and bandits, but from corruption, nepotism, and gross neglect. Soldiers in the front lines are underfed, underpaid, and under-equipped, while their superiors in Abuja bask in luxury and parade armored convoys.

The gap between command and combat has become a moral tragedy. Reports of delayed allowances, outdated weapons, and favoritism in promotions may have corroded trust within the ranks. These are the sparks that, if left unattended to, can ignite mutiny.

Yet, the political class behaves as though nothing is wrong. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration preaches reform but practices the same old rot ,recycled politicians, bloated budgets, and a defense sector drenched in opacity.

Billions vanish annually in the name of “security votes” while Nigerians sleep with one eye open.

The Service Chiefs must ask themselves: how can a soldier defend a country that cannot even defend his dignity?

The time for polished statements is over. This is the hour for truth, and it must begin with accountability.

From the creeks of the Niger Delta to the ravaged towns of the North-East, Nigeria is practically at war with itself.

Terrorists and bandits have become governments of their own, collecting taxes, controlling villages, and dictating who lives or dies.

In some regions, the military’s presence has lost its deterrent power because citizens no longer trust the system it serves.

So, the new Service Chiefs must rebuild that trust, not with force, propaganda or parades, but with performance, integrity, and justice.

They must purge their ranks of political loyalists and re-instill discipline rooted in patriotism, not partisanship.

But this is not only the military’s burden. The civilians who hold power must understand that coup whispers are the echoes of civilian failure. They come when governance turns deaf to the people’s pain. When salaries are unpaid, when corruption is celebrated, when elections are bought and courts become auction houses, the very foundation of democracy rots.

And when that rot deepens, even the most disciplined soldier begins to wonder: “What exactly am I defending?”

Let’s be blunt, Nigeria cannot continue on this suicidal path. History has shown us where this road leads. 1966; 1983; 1993. Each coup was born from the same womb: corruption, injustice, and arrogance in power. And each one left behind wreckage that took decades to repair.

If our leaders have forgotten those lessons, the new Service Chiefs must not. They must become the conscience of the Republic, firm enough to uphold the Constitution, fearless enough to tell truth to power, and patriotic enough to prevent another national disaster.

For now, the whispers remain whispers. But the atmosphere is charged, the patience of the people is wearing thin.

The new Service Chiefs must act fast, improve welfare, rebuild morale, and restore the honor of the uniform.

Above all, they must remember that silence in the face of rot is complicity.

Nigeria’s democracy is on probation. The Service Chiefs have a choice: to be remembered as defenders of the Republic or as silent witnesses to its collapse.

The time for deception has passed. The time for action is now.

~ Published By NewsOrient Network

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