By Mahmoud Muhammad Kano
A Nigerian soldier has sparked widespread attention online after making explosive allegations that powerful and well-connected “cabals” are behind the country’s worsening insecurity, claiming they deliberately fuel violence to gain access to mineral-rich regions for illicit exploitation.
In a video shared on Sunday by SaharaReporters, the soldier, who acknowledged that military regulations restrict personnel from speaking publicly on social media, said he felt compelled to break his silence, describing his emotional state as “my heart is boiling.”
He alleged that insecurity is not merely a security challenge but a calculated strategy tied to economic interests in resource-rich communities.
“This issue of insecurity is caused by cabals… they are using insecurity as a distraction,” he said.
According to him, violent unrest is often engineered in areas where valuable minerals have been discovered, with the aim of forcing residents to flee their communities.
“They cause insecurity… to scare villagers and farmers away,” he added.
The soldier further claimed that these alleged actors operate with significant influence, suggesting they are deeply embedded within powerful political and economic networks. He also alleged that such influence weakens the authority of some state governors and complicates the work of security agencies on the ground.
He argued that ongoing insecurity serves as a diversion, enabling illegal extraction activities to continue largely unchecked, particularly in parts of the North-East, which he described as being rich in solid minerals with vast economic potential.
Expressing concern for his safety, he warned that those he described as “cabals” must be stopped and urged Nigerians to “ask questions” should anything happen to him.
He also referenced the prolonged Chibok and Dapchi schoolgirl abductions, questioning the persistence of such tragedies.
“Who knows where it is going to happen tomorrow?” he asked.
The soldier further alleged that terrorist groups continue to thrive due to sustained backing, claiming that recruitment and operations persist despite ongoing military offensives.
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