By Umar Muhammed, Lafia
Governor Abdullahi Sule’s approval of the 4th Inter-Security Agencies Unity Cup is being hailed by his aides as a gesture of camaraderie and peacebuilding. But critics argue it’s more a calculated PR manoeuvre designed to curry favour with security agencies while glossing over policy gaps in civilian welfare.
The tournament, slated for next week in Lafia, will bring together twelve military and paramilitary outfits — up from ten last year — in what has become a yearly tradition under Sule. The governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Sports Development, Hamza Ibrahim-Moyi, said the approval reflects “His Excellency’s commitment to unity and security cooperation.”
But opposition voices say the optics tell another story: a governor ensuring tight institutional ties with agencies whose presence can sway public perception, especially in a state where law-and-order narratives influence electoral outcomes.
“Funding football for security agencies is nice, but where’s the equivalent investment in youth sports infrastructure, rural clinics, or small business hubs?” asked one opposition strategist in Lafia. “This is political relationship management dressed up as sports.”
The line-up includes the Army, Air Force, Police, FRSC, DSS, NDLEA, Civil Defence, Immigration, Correctional Service, Fire Service, Vigilante Group of Nigeria, and the Nasarawa Youth Empowerment Agency. Winners will receive cash prizes, medals, and awards — a gesture critics say contrasts sharply with the struggles of underfunded community projects and grassroots development programmes.
Last year, the FRSC clinched the trophy over Civil Defence with a 2–0 win. But as this year’s expanded edition kicks off, political observers say the real scoreboard may not be in Lafia’s stadiums, but in the governor’s deepening institutional goodwill ahead of future political battles.