In a searing interview with Symfoni, activist and Sahara Reporters publisher Omoyele Sowore delivered a sweeping indictment of Nigeria’s political leadership and collapsing security institutions.

Sowore argued that the country’s current crisis is the result of decades of failed governance, alleging that President Bola Tinubu helped shape the corrupt structures now destroying the nation.

He accused the ruling elite of looting Lagos, manipulating the judiciary, compromising INEC, and destroying citizens’ rights.

Sowore also questioned the legality of the current Inspector-General of Police, whom he insists has overstayed his statutory service limit.

From outsourced naval operations to rampant kidnapping networks, he described a state unable to protect its people.

The interview here paints a bleak picture of a country drifting into full structural and systemic failure.

We serve the excerpts here for busy readers who have not much time to watch the full video.

The Interview

Q Considering the release and escape of suspects across the country, what does this say about the current government?

Ans You must look at it from the standpoint of the Nigerian state itself, regardless of who is in power today. Things have escalated because, over the years, Nigeria has had leaders who did nothing to ensure a safe, secure, prosperous future — despite making enormous revenue from natural resources.

The same people who promised to make Nigeria a paradise have turned it into a Hobbesian state. Thomas Hobbes described such a place as one where life is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” That is Nigeria today.

Q You describe Nigeria as Hobbesian. How is the current president an architect of this?

Ans He has been part of the system from the start. He was a senator in 1992. People thought some of them fought for democracy, but they were only fighting for power. When they didn’t get power in 1993, they ran away — and while pretending to fight for democracy abroad, he was actually dealing in drugs.

Q That’s a serious allegation. Are you saying this as fact?

Ans It is not an allegation. It is stated in a U.S. District Court order on a forfeiture hearing. I was the first person to obtain a physical copy from the archives in Chicago after the case concluded in 1993. I purchased it for $76. I can’t forget that.

“Nigeria has become a Hobbesian state—solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”

Q After returning to Nigeria, what did he do in Lagos as governor?

Ans He and his group converted Lagos resources into private accounts and enterprises. That is how Alpha Beta emerged — a tax collection company linked to him. Lagos was one of the most vibrant economies in Africa, the sixth-largest, yet it was looted.

If the money made in Lagos had been reinvested properly, Lagos could have rivalled Amsterdam. Today, any rainfall floods the city. That is the background of the person who has now been rewarded with the presidency.

Q And what of those who worked with Buhari and the APC leadership?

Ans They kept Buhari in power for a second term, and we all saw the damage he did. They are ruining democracy today through judicial manipulation and the worst abuse of process I have seen.

Q Are you saying INEC is complicit?

Ans Yes. INEC is a political party, not an electoral commission. Look at what they did in the last election. The chairman who just left has now been given an ambassadorship — effectively immunity for his actions.

“We keep rewarding the architects of our suffering with more power.”

Q You’ve repeatedly said Nigeria is a failed state. How does security fit into this?

Ans The security agencies have failed. That brings me back to why I called the IG illegal. The Inspector General of Police is acting illegally. The Police Act states that the IGP must be a serving police officer. Anyone who has retired cannot legally wear the uniform.

He retired in September 2024 after 35 years — the maximum allowed. Anyone still wearing police uniform after that is acting illegally.

Q The government says he was reappointed by the president.

Ans The president cannot carry out an illegality. The Constitution supersedes any Act of Parliament. And let me add that I do not believe in the 1999 Constitution — it was the military’s decree disguised as a constitution.

Q Beyond the police, what about the military and intelligence agencies?

Ans All of them have lost capacity due to corruption, incompetence, and collusion. Even the Navy has outsourced part of its constitutional duty.

“INEC behaves like a political party, not an electoral commission.”

Q Outsourced? How?

Ans Up to 35% of Nigeria’s waterways — especially in the Niger Delta — are under the control of a private company. The Navy cannot intercept boats or ships there. Only in Lagos do they have full authority.

Q Is that why government officials say they know kidnappers’ phone numbers?

Ans Exactly. They have Rolodexes of kidnappers and bandits. Because instead of crushing these criminals, they now “engage” them through so-called non-kinetic strategies — after failing through unlawful killings and human rights abuses.

Q Are you saying the government recruits former insurgents?

Ans Yes. Boko Haram militants they claim to have rehabilitated are being recruited. And let me shock you: Nigeria has a rehabilitation centre for Boko Haram in Gombe State that receives more funding than any federal university.

“Our Navy cannot operate in 35% of Nigeria’s waterways because they outsourced the job.”

Q What does this mean for ordinary citizens?

Ans If someone is kidnapped and you go to the police, they will warn you not to make noise. If you speak publicly, the kidnappers will call you, saying the police informed them you are stubborn. They will threaten to kidnap you too, and no one will protect you.

Kidnappers send letters to entire communities announcing the date they will strike — and nobody can stop them. That is a failed state.

Q The National Assembly passed a law amending the conditions around the IGP’s appointment. Does that not solve the issue?

Ans You cannot retroactively legalize an unlawful appointment. The Senate rushed that bill within hours to cover up the illegality. Even a lawmaker who initially defended the IG stopped speaking after I replied with the facts.

Even that amendment still requires the IGP to be a policeman. To change that, they must amend the Constitution itself.

“The IGP retired in 2024. Anyone wearing a police uniform after retirement is acting illegally.”

Q You previously refused to meet the IG during your arrest. Why?

Ans Because meeting him in his office would legitimize his illegal status. He wanted me brought to his office as a bail condition. I told them I preferred to stay in detention until Monday and go to court.

If he wants to meet me privately, we can meet on the street — after he resigns. Not as IG.

Q You once said he avoided an event because you were coming. What happened?

Ans He was supposed to attend a 5K or 10K run in Abuja. The moment he heard I was coming, he backed out. He reportedly told someone he was afraid I might call him “illegal IG” publicly — and that things might escalate.

Rate, Like 👍, Comment 💬, Share this article, Follow us on our social media handles, and Submit your own story to get featured and earn rewards!