Olu of Warri: Moral Decay Nigeria’s Greatest War, Seeks Military–Trad’ Rulers Alliance

The Olu of Warri, His Royal Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III, CFR has stated that Nigeria’s most urgent struggle is against moral decline rather than armed conflict, urging closer cooperation between the armed forces and traditional rulers.

Speaking at the final training exercise Haske Biyu 2025 for senior military officers at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji, in Kaduna State, the monarch stressed that weapons can suppress violence but only values can sustain peace. His lecture, titled “Strengthening Family Values as a Force for National Security: The Role of Traditional Institutions,” focused on the importance of discipline and family upbringing in tackling insecurity.

He told the gathering that insecurity thrives where family discipline collapses and community cohesion fades. Storytelling, proverbs and communal living once shaped codes of conduct, he said, adding that traditional institutions, if supported, can still influence norms in a digital age. “Traditional rulers should be seen as unbiased custodians of justice, not mere tools of the state. When communities trust us, intelligence flows, and peace is easier to build,” he added.

The Olu of Warri drew on personal memories, recalling how two of his late uncles, Squadron Leader Adebayo Shaw and Colonel Kolawole Shaw, taught him honesty, courage and punctuality, lessons that showed him the military’s greatest legacy is not firepower but the values it represents. Although he once hoped to join the navy, he said his father, Ogiame Atuwatse II, opposed the idea, reminding him that God’s purpose prevails over human plans.

The Warri monarch argued that terrorism, banditry and organised crime all exploit weakened family structures and fading traditional authority. “The values we uphold today will determine the strength of our nation tomorrow,” he said, calling for a closer partnership between the Nigeria’s armed forces and traditional institutions in the fight against insecurity, insisting that traditional rulers and soldiers must combine discipline with compassion to create lasting stability.