#HumAngleAt5: Five Years of Chronicling Insecurity and the Urgency for Reform

There is a crisis in Nigeria, a smouldering fire of insecurity that has turned vast regions of the country—particularly the North and the Sahelian fringes—into conflict zones where violence has become an everyday reality. It has been five years since HumAngle was founded to document, analyse, and make sense of this as it threatens the social fabric of Lake Chad and most of Africa. 

Five years of reporting the devastation caused by terrorism, insurgency, armed rebellion, and lack of accountability. Five years of bearing witness to the human cost of conflict and political instability.

Yet, in 2025, Africa stands at a dangerous crossroads, with a structurally flawed security architecture incapable of addressing the multi-layered threats confronting its people. Terrorist, insurgent, and rebel groups continue to mutate and spread in the absence of state authority, and a growing economy of ransom payments only fuels the cycle of abductions. Meanwhile, in a desperate response to the state’s failings, communities are turning to self-help militias that are mostly untrained, unregulated, and often as predatory as the criminals they claim to combat.

As we mark our fifth anniversary, we must ask: How did we get here? And more importantly, what must be done to reverse this descent into anarchy?

The rise of lawlessness 

The Nigerian state and its counterparts in the Sahel have retreated from their core function of law enforcement. Across vast rural areas and urban territories, armed non-state actors now fill the vacuum left by ineffective security agencies. The rise of armed groups, human and illicit arms smugglers, and the protracted Boko Haram and ISWAP war affecting Lake Chad countries, rising terrorism activities linked to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and the spate of violent clashes between pastoralists and farming communities are not mere coincidences. They are the direct results of a weak state that has ceded its monopoly on violence.

As security forces struggle to mount an effective counterinsurgency, communities have taken matters into their own hands out of desperation. Vigilante groups and civilian militias are multiplying—some with official backing, others as rogue actors enforcing their brand of justice. While they are often considered necessary evils, these militias are largely untrained, undisciplined, and unaccountable. The consequences of their actions are evident: extrajudicial killings, ethnic profiling, and deepening sectarian divides.

This ‘self-help’ approach to security is not only unsustainable but also deeply corrosive to state authority. It breeds a culture of impunity, where violence is normalised, and the rule of law is a distant concept.

The urgency of institutional reform

The way forward must begin with strengthening constitutionally empowered security institutions. The Armed Forces, the Police Force, and other law enforcement agencies across the continent must be reformed to meet contemporary security challenges. This means a radical overhaul—better recruitment policies, increased accountability, and an emphasis on intelligence-led operations rather than reactive force deployment.

The current policing model in Africa remains deeply flawed. Nigeria, for example, barely has one police officer for every 600 Nigerians; the force is grossly understaffed, underfunded, and undertrained. As limited as this is, it is one of the best in the Sahel. The solution lies in a robust, well-trained, and community-oriented police force that is both responsive and accountable to the people.

Additionally, security reforms must address the lack of accountability amongst security agencies. Cases of extrajudicial killings, illegal detentions, and human rights abuses have alienated the public and eroded trust in law enforcement. Without credible internal oversight and external mechanisms to check abuses, security forces risk becoming yet another source of insecurity rather than a solution to it.

How official channels are incentivising kidnappings

Perhaps the most glaring indicator of state failure is the booming industry of ransom payments. Over the years, kidnapping for ransom has evolved from an opportunistic crime into an organised, multi-million-dollar enterprise. The tragedy is that many of these payments are directly or indirectly facilitated through official channels. State actors, in their desperation to secure the release of abducted citizens, especially in light of mass abductions that make news headlines, have created an incentive structure that fuels the problem.

In numerous cases, ransom payments are not only made but also negotiated through government representatives—setting a dangerous precedent where criminal groups see the state as a reliable financial intermediary. The consequence? A self-perpetuating cycle where ransom money is reinvested in weapons, recruitment, and expansion of criminal networks.

This cycle must be broken. Governments in the region must adopt a firm and clear stance: no state-sanctioned ransom payments. Instead, they must invest in intelligence operations that prioritise the dismantling of kidnapping networks, where tactical rescues of hostages are prioritised rather than financial settlements to reduce the economic incentives for kidnapping.

Africa cannot afford another five years of chaos

Africa’s descent into insecurity is not inevitable. It is the direct consequence of governance failure, lack of political will, and a security sector that has been neglected for too long. The solution lies not in ad hoc, reactionary measures and neo-colonial rivalry interventions but in a comprehensive strategy that re-establishes state authority and good governance, professionalises law enforcement, and dismantles economic structures that sustain criminal enterprises.

As HumAngle marks five years of documenting insecurity, our commitment remains the same: to tell the stories that matter, to expose the truths that many would rather ignore, and to push for real change. But journalism alone is not enough. The burden now falls on African leaders to rise to the occasion, to restore order, and to ensure that in another five years, we are not marking yet another anniversary in a nation still engulfed by violence.

The time for half-measures is over. Africa must reclaim its future!