Sowore Claims Redirecting Military Funds to Internal Policing Could Cut Terrorism by 70%

 Activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore on July 22, 2025, asserted that investing military funds into internal policing could reduce terrorism in Nigeria by nearly 70%. 

Speaking at a security forum in Lagos, Sowore argued that the current ₦2.3 trillion military budget for 2025 is misallocated, with only 15% reaching grassroots policing, leaving states like Borno vulnerable to Boko Haram attacks, which killed 150 in June alone. He proposed reallocating 60% of military funds, approximately ₦1.4 trillion, to train 50,000 additional police officers and enhance community intelligence.

The claim lacks empirical backing, as no study supports a 70% reduction, though Nigeria’s 2024 Global Terrorism Index shows a 25% drop in incidents with increased police presence in Lagos. Security experts caution that terrorism’s root causes, poverty and radicalization, affect 40% of the north-east, requiring more than funding shifts. 

Critics see his stance as politically motivated, given his 2023 candidacy, while supporters argue it addresses systemic neglect, though the figure’s precision invites scrutiny.