The Editor-in-Chief of Africa Confidential, Patrick Smith, has said that the international community increasingly perceives Nigeria as grappling with serious security challenges.
Smith made the observation on Wednesday, the 14th of January, 2026, while speaking during Prime Time, a programme aired on Arise Television. He explained that feedback gathered from multiple sources, including contacts outside Nigeria, points to growing concern over the country’s security situation.
According to him, credible information from Nigerian civic organisations suggests that violence affects citizens indiscriminately, cutting across religious and social lines. He stressed that the crisis is not confined to any single faith group.
“Well, everyone we’ve spoken to, including people in the US, I mean, the most authoritative sources are obviously going to be coming from civic groups in Nigeria.
“And the view we’ve been getting is that there’s a major security crisis in Nigeria.“
Smith further referenced data from security monitoring platforms, noting that the scale of violence recorded last year places Nigeria in a category comparable to countries experiencing prolonged conflict.
“And I think the security trackers have said over 10,000 people were killed in violent attacks last year, which is a kind of low-level conflict level.
“I mean, if you think about the number of people that have been killed in Ukraine or Sudan, you’re heading up to those sorts of figures.
“But that is across the board. There are Muslims, there are Christians, there are people of other faiths, and indeed atheists.
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“I mean, every person, every citizen could be subjected to this violence.“
He emphasized that the absence of religious targeting is a key point often overlooked, adding that the narrative has gained traction in the United States due to the influence of faith-based political groups.
“I think that’s the point, that it’s not targeted against one particular faith. Everyone is tied up in it. And I think it’s had more resonance in the US, where the religious right and the Christian lobby groups are extremely powerful.
“And that’s why it seems to have taken flight as a kind of propaganda meme that’s gone out and it’s pushed the government into acting,” he said.