Katsina Hajj Terror Pilgrims; When Allegations Demand Accountability…..By Comrade Olufemi Lawson

Nigeria’s worsening insecurity, particularly across parts of the North, continues to raise difficult questions about whether criminal networks are benefiting from the complicity of powerful individuals and of course, some key State Actors. Recent reports alleging that suspected terrorist leaders were able to travel through Katsina International Airport to perform the Hajj before their arrest, upon returning to Nigeria have raised serious issues that should be of public concern, to us as Nigerians. There is no doubt , that the Katsina scenario, point to serious institutional failures or possible collusion that deserve a thorough, transparent investigation.

These concerns have been reinforced by earlier allegations made by a northern scholar, Dr. Bashir Kurfi, who claimed that funds were provided to sponsor suspected terrorists for the Hajj by the Katsina State Government. These are serious allegations that require independent verification, but it also raises the urgent need for law enforcement and the relevant authorities to establish the facts and hold anyone found culpable accountable, regardless of status or political affiliation.

The persistence of terrorism despite years of military operations has fueled public suspicion that some actors within or connected to state institutions may be enabling criminal networks through corruption, negligence, or deliberate collaboration. It is this perception that gives renewed attention to General T.Y. Danjuma’s widely quoted warning that “they collude.”

Whether these allegations ultimately prove true or false, Nigerians deserve to know the truth. Public confidence in the fight against terrorism depends not only on military victories but also on the willingness of government institutions to investigate credible allegations without fear or favour. Defeating terrorism requires more than confronting gunmen in the forests; it requires exposing and prosecuting anyone who facilitates their activities from within the system.

The fight against insecurity will only succeed when accountability reaches every level, and no individual is considered above the law.

Until this is done, there seems to be no near end, to the war against terrorism in our country.

May God save us, from Ourselves.

Olufemi Lawson,

Executive Director,

Centre for Public Accountability CPA Lagos.