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...Kinetic Force Alone Cannot End Insecurity, Defence Minister Says At Olatunde’s Book Launch
Top government officials, senior military figures, and security stakeholders have thrown their weight behind a new book by retired Air Vice Marshal Sayo Olatunde, titled Beyond the Symptoms: Tackling the Root of Nigeria’s Insecurity, describing it as a timely and strategic intervention in Nigeria’s search for lasting solutions to insecurity.
The book, officially launched at a high-level gathering on Tuesday, 17th March 2026, attended by senior military officers, policymakers, and public figures, calls for a decisive shift from reactive and purely kinetic responses to a deeper, systemic approach aimed at addressing the structural drivers of insecurity across the country.
Speaking to journalists after the unveiling of the book, the author, Retired Air Vice Marshal Sayo Olatunde, said the motivation behind the book stemmed from his long-standing concern that insecurity in Nigeria has become recurrent because the country is largely addressing symptoms rather than confronting the root causes.
“I observed that manifestations of insecurity have become recurrent across the country. This indicates that we are not tackling the underlying causes,” Olatunde said
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Using a vivid analogy, the retired senior military officer compared Nigeria’s security crisis to a tree producing foul-smelling leaves.
“Plucking the leaves only gives temporary relief. To stop the problem permanently, you must uproot the tree,” he explained.
According to Olatunde, the book is the product of a detailed root cause analysis of Nigeria’s security challenges, initially examining 17 drivers of insecurity before narrowing them down to five critical factors that he believes are central to the country’s security breakdown.
The five major drivers identified in the book are: Corruption, Sociopolitical polarisation, Porous borders, Defective defence architecture, and Ineffective police force
He noted that these five drivers have far-reaching effects on multiple layers of the insecurity crisis.
“These five factors influence many other security challenges. For example, porous borders facilitate the influx of weapons, foreign fighters, and illicit resources, which in turn fuel illicit economies, including illegal mining,” he said.
Olatunde stressed that identifying the root causes is only the beginning, warning that real progress would depend on political courage and sustained institutional reforms.
“Strong political will is essential. Understanding our security situation allows us to take the right steps to implement effective, sustainable solutions,” he added.
He concluded by calling for systemic reform, integrity, and commitment at all levels to restore peace, security, and prosperity in Nigeria.
Defence Minister: Kinetic Force Alone Is Not Enough
Delivering remarks on behalf of the the Special Guest of Honour the Honourable Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, represented by its Special Adviser on Policy and Strategy, Major General Olufemi Akinjobi (Rtd), praised the book as a major contribution to national security thinking and said it reflects the kind of strategic vision Nigeria urgently needs.
He said he felt a deep sense of professional satisfaction when he first saw the title of the book, noting that both military strategy and medicine require going beyond visible symptoms to confront the real source of a problem.
“In the military, we are trained to look for the centre of gravity. In medicine, we are taught not to treat the fever but to cure the infection,” he said.
Musa described Olatunde as a seasoned professional whose decades of military service and recent role as Chief of Defence Policy and Plans at Defence Headquarters gave him the depth and credibility to produce such a work.
“This book is not the work of an armchair critic. It is the product of a military mind that has lived through the challenges, understood the operational constraints, and now offers a roadmap,” he stated.
The Defence Minister’s representative noted that the Nigerian Armed Forces are currently engaged in multiple theatres of operation, including counter-insurgency efforts in the North-East, anti-banditry operations in the North-West, responses to separatist tensions in the South-East, and the fight against crude oil theft in the South-South.
However, he strongly aligned with the book’s core argument that military operations alone cannot end the crisis.
“Kinetic force alone is not enough. While we continue to dominate the battle space and degrade the capabilities of these enemies of the state, we must address the root causes — the socioeconomic deprivations, the ideological gaps, and the systemic weaknesses that allow insecurity to fester,” he said.
He urged Nigerians across all sectors to read the book, describing it as a thesis for academics, a manual for politicians, and a wake-up call for citizens.
According to him, while the Armed Forces remain committed to creating an enabling environment for peace, “the roots of peace lie in justice, development, and unity.”
Interior Minister: Insecurity Cannot Be Solved By Armed Forces Alone
Earlier in his opening remarks as Chairperson of the Day, the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo ably represented by the Ministrys Permanent Secretary, described the event as symbolic of a shared national concern over Nigeria’s persistent insecurity.
He said the gathering reflected a collective willingness by stakeholders from different sectors to confront one of the country’s gravest challenges.
“Insecurity in Nigeria is multidimensional, deeply rooted, and cannot be solved by the armed forces alone,” Tunji-Ojo said.
The Interior Minister described the book launch as more than a literary event, saying it was an invitation to the nation to think differently about security.
“Today’s launch is not a celebration of authorship alone. It is an invitation,” he said.
According to him, the book invites: Policymakers to move beyond reactive measures, Political leaders to see security as a product of justice, inclusion, and credible governance, Traditional and religious leaders to reclaim moral authority in shaping values and narratives, The private sector to recognise that no economy thrives amid persistent insecurity, and Young Nigerians to reject manipulation, violence, and despair, and demand better systems rather than broken ones.
He then officially declared the book launch open, expressing hope that the publication would stimulate meaningful national discourse.
Reviewer Says Nigeria’s Insecurity Is Rooted In Systemic Failures
Reviewing the book, Retired Major General Garba Wahab, former Director General of the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, said Nigeria’s insecurity is the result of long-standing systemic dysfunctions and social failures that were ignored until they became deeply entrenched.
According to Wahab, the country has spent too much time responding to symptoms rather than addressing the deeper structural issues.
“Insecurity in Nigeria is due to systemic dysfunctions. We’ve left so many things untouched, unaddressed for so long. When they first start, they become the norm, and it becomes very difficult to actually identify the real causes,” he said.
He maintained that the crisis, though severe, is neither inevitable nor impossible to overcome.
“They are neither inevitable nor insurmountable… But they are all due to social failures left unaddressed,” Wahab added.
Wahab said the strength of the book lies not only in diagnosing the problem but also in offering practical recommendations backed by implementation strategies.
Book Recommends Sweeping Security Reforms
Among the key proposals highlighted during the review are:A presidential executive order to revitalise Nigeria’s defence architecture, Clearer designation of the Chief of Defence Staff as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, A stronger and clearly defined role for the CDS as principal military adviser to the President on operational matters, A model where service headquarters focus on training and force generation while Defence Headquarters and force commands concentrate on operations, and A mandate for the Ministry of Defence and Defence Headquarters to dislodge terrorists, insurgents, and bandits from enclaves across the country
Other recommendation are; Expanded use of technology in security operations, a public-private partnership framework for technology-driven border security, A comprehensive integrated border management system, Reform of the Nigeria Police Force through improved welfare, equipment, and recruitment, Creation of a Reconciliation and Reintegration Commission to depolarise the socio-cultural environment, and A stronger anti-corruption framework, including streamlining overlapping anti-graft structures for more effective enforcement
Wahab also underscored the author’s call for Nigeria to embrace technology more seriously in national security management, citing the failure of past surveillance initiatives such as the widely discussed but ineffective CCTV infrastructure in Abuja. “There is no way we can run away from technology,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, Chief Benito Ozigbo described the launch as a solemn and significant occasion, commending the author for producing what he called a timely and impactful work.
Ozigbo said the book arrives at a critical period in Nigeria’s history when the nation urgently needs practical, well-researched strategies to move beyond temporary fixes toward lasting, systemic solutions.
“This book comes at a time when Nigeria needs practical, well-researched strategies to address its security challenges, moving beyond temporary fixes to systemic solutions,” he said.
He said it as not just a celebration of the author’s achievement but also a contribution to security awareness, policy reform, and public understanding of the issues affecting the country.
He congratulated the author and urged government institutions, security agencies, and citizens to engage seriously with the book’s recommendations.
National Call For Strategic Security Reform
SpyeTV News reports that thee launch of Beyond the Symptoms: Tackling the Root of Nigeria’s Insecurity has emerged as more than a book unveiling — it has become a broader national conversation on how Nigeria can transition from crisis response to strategic reform.
With endorsements from the Ministries of Defence and Interior, senior retired military officers, and influential public figures, the publication is already being positioned as a serious reference point in Nigeria’s evolving security discourse.
At the heart of the message from all speakers was a common theme: Nigeria’s insecurity crisis cannot be defeated by firepower alone. Lasting peace will require justice, institutional reform, credible governance, stronger security architecture, and the political will to confront the root causes.
