WHEN Bola Ahmed Tinubu was sworn into office as the President of Nigeria on May 29, 2023, he promised to end the insecurity that had almost brought the country to its knees.
Before he assumed leadership of the country, Nigeria had witnessed seemingly unrestricted killings by non-state actors, so Nigerians anxiously waited to see how his government would tackle the massive security challenges that bedevilled the country over the past few years. This report which is part of The ICIR series tagged “Tinubu’s one year in office”, takes an in-depth look at the security situation.
Tinubu promised to tackle insecurity
In June 2022, when Tinubu emerged as the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate for the 2023 general elections, he promised a secure, prosperous, and united Nigeria in his victory speech.
Tinubu said he was ready to provide security and rebuild the economy. He said if elected president, he would eliminate criminals, including terrorists.
Also, during his campaign tour, Tinubu promised to tackle the security situation across the country, stating that the economy cannot thrive in an insecure environment.
“I used the same approach to tackle the bad security situation that faced me when I became governor of Lagos. I created programmes and institutions to solve the real and dangerous challenges Lagos faced.
“I shall increase security personnel and better equip them. Advanced air and ground surveillance technology will identify, track and attack the criminals until they are utterly defeated,” the former governor of Lagos state said.
Still on security, in his inaugural speech on May 29, he pledged to prioritise security and effectively tackle the menace of insecurity.
“Security shall be the top priority of our administration because neither prosperity nor justice can prevail amidst insecurity and violence.
“To effectively tackle this menace, we shall reform our security Doctrine and its Architecture.
“We shall invest more in our security personnel, and this means more than an increase in number. We shall provide better training, equipment, pay and firepower,” Tinubu stated.
Data speaks
Despite the promises made by Tinubu on security, data from various sources showed that the security situation has little or no change under under his administration, as over 600 people were killed under him within 45 days.
Data from SBM Intelligence, an analysis platform, revealed that about 629 Nigerians were killed within 45 days across the country under President Tinubu between May 29 and July 13, 2023.
According to data, the killings happened primarily from activities of non-state actors like bandits, Boko Haram insurgents, ethnic militias, armed robbers and other non-state actors.
Other data from the Council on Foreign Relations’ Nigeria Security Tracker (NST) and media reports checked by The ICIR showed that non-state actors killed 587 people within the same period.
A report by a civil society organisation, Global Rights Nigeria, revealed that at least 555 people had been killed and 267 others abducted six weeks after President Tinubu took office.
Also, in a report published on June 14, Amnesty International (AI) said more than 120 people were killed a few days after Tinubu assumed power.
At least 2,336 people were killed in various violent attacks within the first three months of 2024, according to data sourced and analysed by The ICIR.
This is an approximate average of 26 persons killed daily between January 2024 and the end of March 2024.
Resign if you cannot tackle insecurity
In January, following a surge in kidnapping cases, a former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, advised Tinubu to resign if he could not handle the insecurity challenges currently bedevilling Nigeria.
Atiku, who contested the last presidential election against Tinubu on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said this in a post on his X handle on Tuesday, January 30.
He accused the President of being a fiddler when the nation was insecure.
On Monday, January 29, civil society organisations (CSOs) in Nigeria appealed to Tinubu to declare an emergency due to the nation’s insecurity.
March
The ICIR reported that four officers and 13 soldiers were murdered in Okuama on March 14.
The officers were said to have been killed by some youths while the troops were on a peace mission to the Okuoma community in Bomadi Local Government Area (LGA).
Also in March, over 100 students were kidnapped in Kuriga town in Kaduna state. The incident generated public outrage among Nigerians.
Tinubu cancels 72nd birthday due to insecurity
Tinubu cancelled his 72nd birthday celebration, scheduled for Friday, March 29, due to the rising hardship and insecurity in the country.
Expert opinion
Meanwhile, earlier in the administration’s life, some stakeholders in the security industry offered suggestions on how the Tinubu administration could effectively address insecurity.
A security analyst with SBM Intelligence, Emeka Okoro, in a chat with The ICIR, listed some measures Tinubu should implement to address insecurity.
- Increased funding for security agencies
- Collaboration with neighbouring countries.
- Address the root causes of insecurity
- Community policing
- Strengthen intelligence gathering
- Address corruption within security agencies
- Improve border security
In May 2023, to put the President on its toes, The ICIR published reports highlighting the key insecurity issues that confronted former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and another one listing things Tinubu must do to address insecurity.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance