The Presidency has acknowledged the possibility that terrorist sympathizers or agents may have infiltrated Nigeria’s security agencies, including the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force.
President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, made the remarks during The Link Up Podcast, a panel discussion hosted by EchoRoom and published on Friday. He was responding to a question about whether the military had been infiltrated by individuals linked to terrorist groups.
Bwala said it would be unrealistic to completely rule out such infiltration, noting that security personnel have previously been arrested for alleged involvement in terrorist-related activities.
“You cannot rule out the fact that they may have one or two agents in the army, anywhere else,” Bwala said.
He added that some police officers and soldiers had, in the past, been arrested over alleged links to terrorism, stressing that such incidents are not unique to Nigeria.
“Our police have always been arrested, and soldiers arrested involved in this kind of thing. This will happen anywhere in the world,” he said.
Drawing an international comparison, Bwala referenced former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, saying insider threats can occur even within advanced security systems.
He also disclosed that the government is implementing measures to address the issue but declined to provide details.
“There are measures we’re taking, and we don’t want people to know,” Bwala stated.
His comments come amid ongoing efforts by Nigerian security agencies to combat terrorism, banditry, and other forms of violent crime across the country.
