The Managing Director of Linkstride Security Systems Limited, Femi Dare, says a military coup cannot succeed in Nigeria, insisting that citizens, the African Union (AU), and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) would all reject any attempt to overthrow a democratically elected government.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News on Sunday, Dare said suggestions of a coup in Nigeria were “unrealistic and politically motivated,” arguing that the country had outgrown such anti-democratic tendencies.
“There’s no smoke without fire most of the time,” he said. “But from what we see, with our level of civilisation and sophistication, I don’t think any military personnel, in all sense of reason, would think of propagating a coup in Nigeria today. The country has gone beyond that.”
He said while hardship might push some people to exploit discontent for political reasons, the idea of a coup “is not a reality and cannot happen.”
“Some people might just feel they can take advantage of the current hardship in the country to initiate suggestions of a coup,” Dare said. “But it’s not something that can happen. It will not succeed because the people themselves will not accept it. The West African nations will not accept it. The AU will not accept it.”
Dare urged Nigerians to look beyond coup rumours and instead focus on addressing governance, education, and national consciousness.
“Nigeria is currently listed among countries with low-intensity conflict,” he explained. “We’ve been fighting Boko Haram since 2009, but successive governments have failed to take responsibility for educating the people. If you don’t create awareness and bring citizens to your side, you give the enemy room to control the narrative.”
The security expert also argued that Africa’s progress had been hindered by its lack of a unified cultural identity.
“Africa doesn’t have a defined culture like the Western world,” he said. “Until Africans begin to create and believe in their own culture, we will not progress. We must hold on to our nature and build our own civilisation instead of copying others.”
On Nigeria’s push for a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council, Dare backed the move but cautioned that Western foreign policies had historically destabilised Africa.
“The current problem we have in Africa today — banditry and the destabilisation of the Sahel — came from a United Nations-backed policy during Obama’s administration that destabilised Libya,” he said. “Removing Gaddafi without a post-Gaddafi plan led to the proliferation of arms that fuelled insecurity across the region.”
He added that a seat on the UN Security Council would allow Nigeria and Africa “to push their own policies and defend regional interests.”
Addressing US allegations of religious persecution in Nigeria, Dare dismissed claims of Christian genocide, insisting that the country’s insecurity crisis was not driven by religion.
“Everybody in this country is free to practise any religion,” he said. “Our president is Muslim, and his wife is Christian. That alone shows there’s no government policy supporting genocide. More Muslims have been killed than Christians. The problem is not religion but the ungoverned spaces across the Sahel that allow terrorists and bandits to thrive.”
On the fifth anniversary of the Lekki Tollgate shooting, Dare described the 2020 #EndSARS protest as a “very unfortunate incident” but cautioned Nigerians against isolating it from its wider context.
“It was a very unfortunate incident that happened five years ago, but we must not take it in isolation,” he said. “The protest was born out of post-COVID frustration, and unfortunately, it was hijacked by external instigators who turned a peaceful protest into chaos, leading to killings, the burning of police stations, and massive destruction in Lagos.”
While acknowledging that compensation had been paid to some victims, he urged Nigerians to learn from the tragedy and focus on rebuilding trust and national unity.
“We must be wise enough to know we cannot destroy what belongs to us,” Dare said. “Let Nigeria be our culture — not religion, not tribe. China is great today because China itself is their culture. Every Chinese person believes in China. We must reach that point where every Nigerian believes in Nigeria.”
Dare said fostering such national consciousness must begin with leadership that prioritises collective interest over corruption and self-enrichment.
“If Nigeria were truly our culture, no Nigerian soldier or police officer would trade the country for a foreign visa,” he said. “Leadership must stop looting and start creating a sense of belonging. No one should be bigger than Nigeria. Let us build a country that will outlive us all.”
He concluded that the country’s survival depended on visionary leadership and a shared sense of purpose among citizens.
“Leadership is not about corruption and self-interest,” Dare said. “This country will exist for hundreds of years after we’re gone. Let’s build a nation we’ll all be proud of.”
Boluwatife Enome
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