ENOUGH OF THE PROMISES: Nigerians Demand Security, Not Speeches

By George Omagbemi Sylvester

When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu once again summoned Nigeria’s service chiefs to Aso Rock for yet another high-level security meeting, Nigerians collectively sighed not with relief, but with exhaustion. We have been here too many times before. The statements are recycled. The directives sound familiar. The assurances ring hollow.

This is not leadership; it is theatre.

The tragic truth is that the Nigerian people are not just tired, they are angry, disillusioned and traumatized. They are tired of being the collateral damage in a war their government pretends to be fighting. They are tired of being promised security while bandits roam free, terrorists regroup and kidnappers demand ransoms without consequence. The real crisis is not just the violence; it is the normalization of that violence.

The Grim State of Insecurity: A Nation Under Siege

Between 2015 and 2024, Nigeria has recorded over 63,000 conflict-related deaths, according to the Council on Foreign Relations’ Nigeria Security Tracker (NST). In 2023 alone, over 4,800 Nigerians were killed in violent incidents, while more than 3,600 were kidnapped. States like Zamfara, Kaduna, Plateau, Borno, Niger and Benue have become synonymous with bloodshed. From Boko Haram insurgents in the Northeast to bandits in the Northwest, to killer herdsmen in the Middle Belt and separatist agitators in the Southeast, the entire federation is under siege.

Rural communities have been abandoned. Highways have become death traps. Urban centers are no longer safe. Nigerians live in fear not because they are weak, but because their leaders have failed to make safety a priority.

Presidential Promises Are Not Bulletproof Vests

President Tinubu came into power with promises of security reform. On May 29, 2023, during his inauguration, he boldly declared that “security shall be the top priority of our administration because neither prosperity nor justice can prevail amidst insecurity and violence.” Yet, as of May 2025, that promise remains largely unfulfilled.

Yes, the president meets with service chiefs. Yes, there are occasional “military successes” trumpeted by the state media. But these are mere tokens in a crisis that requires transformation not tweaking.

You cannot bomb terrorism out of existence while corruption is left intact. Security is not merely about bullets and battalions; it is about intelligence, accountability, justice and trust. It is about rooting out the rot in the system that allows terrorists to be released from jail, while victims receive shallow condolences.

Empty Meetings, Empty Results
Every time there is a mass abduction, a military ambush, or a deadly attack on civilians, the federal government reacts the same way:

A security meeting is convened.

The President is “briefed.”

Service chiefs are “directed” to “intensify efforts.”

The same faces appear in the same photos.

Nothing changes.

These meetings are not solutions, they are distractions. They offer optics, not outcomes.

How many Nigerians must die before action is taken? How many villages must be razed before strategies become realities? How many schoolchildren must be kidnapped before the government sees the urgency that citizens feel every single day?

As Chinua Achebe once warned, “A man who brings home ant-infested firewood should not be surprised when lizards start to visit.” Our leaders have invited chaos by tolerating impunity. And now, Nigeria is crawling with lizards of lawlessness.

A Deafening Silence on Accountability
Nigeria’s political elite have mastered the art of talking without saying anything. They issue statements without solutions, sympathize without sincerity and govern without results.

Why, for instance, has no service chief ever resigned or been dismissed for gross security failures? In civilized democracies, such dereliction would trigger resignations, probes and prosecutions. In Nigeria, it earns a promotion or a national award.

In the words of Professor Wole Soyinka, “Only in Nigeria do criminals get rewarded while victims are forgotten.”

This culture of impunity must end. If the military hierarchy cannot secure Nigeria, then it is time for a national overhaul not another presidential handshake.

The Economic Cost of Insecurity
Beyond the human toll, insecurity is decimating Nigeria’s economy. According to the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), the country loses over $10 billion annually due to conflict-related disruptions. Farmers cannot access their land due to fear of attacks, which has worsened the food crisis and driven inflation to an alarming 33.2% as of April 2025.

Foreign investors flee at the first hint of instability. Tourism is virtually nonexistent. Domestic businesses relocate or shut down. The World Bank notes that insecurity has become one of the top three obstacles to Nigeria’s economic growth, alongside corruption and poor infrastructure.

A nation without security is a nation without a future.

2025 Is Halfway Through: Why Only Excuses?
It has been nearly two full years since this administration took office. Nigerians are not unreasonably impatient they are rationally demanding results. The APC government has exhausted its grace period.

No more “renewed hope” slogans. No more speeches about “resilience” and “commitment.” Nigerians are not a people who need to be told to endure. They need a government that knows how to act.

As the popular street saying goes: “Na security we wan chop?” No. But without security, no one can chop.

What Must Be Done?

If the Tinubu administration truly desires to end this cycle of bloodshed, it must take the following concrete actions:

Reshuffle and professionalize the military leadership. Promotion must be based on performance not political loyalty.

Invest in local intelligence and surveillance technology. Drones, satellite monitoring and community-based intelligence must be prioritized.

Strengthen state policing frameworks. Centralized policing has failed. Each state must be allowed to manage its own internal security with federal collaboration.

Prosecute collaborators and financiers of terrorism. Enough of the hidden sponsors; name and shame them.

Ensure victims get justice and compensation. Healing starts with acknowledgment.

Quotes to Remember

Nelson Mandela: “Safety and security don’t just happen; they are the result of collective consensus and public investment.”

Barack Obama: “Security and opportunity are two sides of the same coin.”

Thomas Jefferson: “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.”

But what use is vigilance when those at the top are asleep?

Let the Bullets Stop. Let the Lies End.
Nigerians are not asking for miracles. They are demanding what every responsible government should provide: the right to life, peace and liberty. If this administration cannot guarantee that, then history will judge it harshly not for what it promised, but for what it failed to deliver.

Let the bullets stop. Let the bloodshed end. Let results speak louder than rhetoric.

Nigeria deserves peace. And Nigerians demand nothing less.