2016: Kachikwu Reveals What Buhari Planned to Do to Niger Delta Militants

According to a report by The Nation on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, has disclosed that former President Muhammadu Buhari once contemplated launching a large-scale military offensive against Niger Delta militants in 2016 following persistent attacks on oil and gas facilities across the region.

Kachikwu revealed that Buhari was prepared to deploy the full strength of the Nigerian military against the Niger Delta Avengers, a militant group that had repeatedly targeted critical petroleum installations. The attacks disrupted oil and gas production and threatened economic activities in a region that plays a vital role in Nigeria’s economy.

According to the former minister, Buhari considered the destruction of these facilities a major threat to national security and the country’s economic stability.

However, Kachikwu disclosed that he stepped in to persuade the former president to reconsider the proposed military operation, warning that a forceful response could worsen the crisis instead of resolving it. He also expressed concerns that such an operation would further stretch security agencies already facing several challenges in other parts of the country.

Speaking during the unveiling of Buhari’s authorised three-volume biography in Abuja, Kachikwu recounted how he encouraged the former president to explore dialogue as an alternative to an immediate military confrontation.

He explained that launching a major offensive could cause further damage to the petroleum sector, which was already experiencing significant disruptions due to the attacks. He therefore believed that engaging regional stakeholders and addressing their grievances through negotiations would offer a more effective way of resolving the crisis.

Kachikwu further recalled that Buhari was initially reluctant to engage in discussions with Niger Delta representatives under the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) ahead of their proposed meeting. However, the meeting eventually held and reportedly helped ease the former president’s reservations about negotiating with the stakeholders.

He described the outcome of the engagement as positive, revealing that he later joked with Buhari that meeting the Niger Delta representatives had turned out to be less difficult than the former president had anticipated.

The former minister also identified a photograph taken shortly after the meeting as one of his favourite pictures of Buhari, explaining that it captured the former president looking relaxed and smiling after the discussions.

Kachikwu’s revelation provides further insight into the internal discussions within the Buhari administration during the 2016 Niger Delta crisis and the diplomatic efforts made to prevent the conflict from escalating into a major military confrontation.

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