Popular Nigerian activist and co-convener of the #BringBackOurGirls movement, Aisha Yesufu, has said that the war against Boko Haram and terrorism in Nigeria’s North will only end when the country has a real Commander-in-Chief.
Yesufu made the remark in a post on X (formerly Twitter) while reacting to a viral report that the Nigerian Army surveillance system captured a Boko Haram invasion on a military base in Borno State but failed to alert troops on the ground.
In the post, she wrote:
“The day Nigeria gets a Commander-in-Chief, the war against Boko Haram and the other terrorists will be properly tackled! Until then, the terrorists will continue to mock us, it is well.”
Her statement comes amid renewed concerns over the effectiveness of Nigeria’s military response to terrorism, particularly in the Northeast, where Boko Haram and ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province) have remained active for over a decade.
The incident she referred to involved a video clip reportedly showing Army surveillance footage of Boko Haram fighters moving into a base in Borno, while soldiers remained unaware due to a lack of communication or response from the surveillance unit.
The report has sparked criticism online, with many questionings how such intelligence could be ignored, risking the lives of military personnel.
Aisha Yesufu’s comment highlights long-standing concerns about leadership and accountability in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism. She has been a consistent critic of government response to insecurity, particularly since the 2014 abduction of over 270 Chibok schoolgirls by Boko Haram, which led to the formation of the #BringBackOurGirls movement.
Over the years, Boko Haram and its splinter groups have killed thousands and displaced millions across Nigeria’s Northeast. Despite claims by successive governments that the group has been “technically defeated,” attacks on military bases, rural communities, and aid workers continue.
As at press time, the Nigerian Army has not issued an official response to the report or Yesufu’s comment.
