Former House of Representatives member, Tajudeen Yusuf, has attributed Nigeria’s current security crisis to years of political manipulation and regional power play.

Speaking on Channels Television, Yusuf alleged that certain northern political actors contributed to the rise and boldness of bandit groups, using insecurity as a tool to weaken former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration ahead of the 2014/2015 elections.

According to him, the situation worsened because politicians treated the crisis as an opportunity for political advantage instead of confronting it decisively.

“We are where we are today because, at the beginning, we played politics with insecurity,” Yusuf said. “People were more interested in who held power than in solving the problem.

“The North is complicit. They gave these groups wings because they saw insecurity as a chance to push Jonathan out in 2014. A lot of politics was played with it, and that is why we are in this mess today.”

The former lawmaker stressed that Nigeria can only overcome its security challenges if the rule of law is applied uniformly.

“If we truly want to get out of this situation, we must be sincere and passionate. No Nigerian—regardless of status—should be above the law,” he added.

“If you cross the line, you should face the consequences. We need strong political will to do what is right.”