Former Inspector-General of Police, Sir Mike Okiro, has blamed the Federal Government’s decision to dismantle the Police Anti-Terrorist Squad shortly after his retirement in 2009 for the emergence and spread of the Boko Haram insurgency, saying the move denied Nigeria the opportunity to stop terrorism before it escalated into a national crisis.
Okiro made the revelation in an interview with Sunday Sun, which was extracted by PLATFORM TIMES.
The former police chief, who served as Inspector-General of Police between June 2007 and July 2009, said the anti-terrorism unit was established to detect and neutralise emerging terrorist threats but was abandoned following criticism from some quarters.
He described the disbandment of the squad as a costly policy mistake that contributed to the rise of Boko Haram, whose activities have claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions across Nigeria’s North-East and other parts of the country.
“Boko Haram couldn’t have really happened if government hadn’t stopped what I started,” Okiro said.
“I created the Police Anti-Terrorist Squad in 2007. I had the officers trained in Israel, Egypt, Sudan and South Africa because those countries had experience in combating terrorism.”
According to him, opposition to the initiative came from individuals who falsely alleged that the squad was designed to target members of a particular religion.
He recalled that some newspapers also criticised the initiative, arguing at the time that terrorism was not a threat in Nigeria.
“Some people alleged that I created the Anti-Terrorist Squad to gather members of a particular religion and shoot them as terrorists. Two newspapers even wrote editorials against it, saying there was no terrorism in Nigeria,” he said.
Okiro explained that despite publicly defending the initiative, the Federal Government declined to approve funds required to equip the squad with operational vehicles, communication gadgets and other logistics.
He said he nevertheless deployed units to Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano and Maiduguri, but some state governors requested the withdrawal of the operatives from their states.
“I retired on July 24, 2009. By August and September, Boko Haram had struck in Maiduguri. Since then, Nigeria has known no peace.
“If government had insisted on sustaining and equipping the Anti-Terrorist Squad, the story would have been different,” he said.
The former police boss also disclosed that security agencies had been monitoring Boko Haram founder, Mohammed Yusuf, before the insurgency erupted.
“I monitored Mohammed Yusuf from Yobe to Maiduguri. I arrested him a couple of times. If government had taken action then, the story would have been different. It is late now because they have spread all over Nigeria,” he stated.
Speaking on the country’s security situation, Okiro said Nigeria was yet to make significant progress in addressing insecurity.
“We are not making progress. The situation has been bad for a long time. Insecurity didn’t start today; it has been with us over the years,” he said.
He attributed the persistent security challenges to inadequate funding, poor manpower and obsolete equipment across security agencies.
According to him, the police, as the lead agency for internal security, cannot effectively combat crime without modern surveillance technology, reliable communication systems, drones and other advanced security infrastructure.
“The agencies should be properly funded, adequately equipped and well trained. Nigerians are intelligent enough to deliver if they are given the necessary tools,” he added.
Okiro also urged security agencies to remain neutral during the 2027 general elections, warning that partisanship could undermine the credibility of the electoral process.
“Their responsibility is to provide security for polling units, electoral officers and election materials. They must not be partisan or interfere in the electoral process beyond maintaining law and order,” he said.
Reflecting on his policing career, the 77-year-old former Inspector-General recounted how he prevented a violent attack on a son of the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, during a high-profile court appearance in Lagos by secretly relocating the trial venue from Igbosere to Ikeja, a strategy he described as one of the defining moments of his career.
'
'Do you want to share a story with us? Do you want to advertise with us? Do you need publicity for a product, service, or event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348183319097 Email: platformtimes@gmail.com
We are committed to impactful investigative journalism for human interest and social justice. Your donation will help us tell more stories. Kindly donate any amount HERE
'