Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying it has shown little interest in tackling the recent surge in insecurity across Nigeria.
Effiong made the comments on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, arguing that the government appears more focused on political gains ahead of the 2027 general elections than on protecting lives.
“If we agree that the state has failed, we must also agree that Nigeria is failing at an accelerated rate because the commander-in-chief is not even commanding the Boy Scouts,” Effiong said. “His words and orders are almost meaningless. The president is celebrating political defections instead of stopping the killings.”
He questioned the effectiveness of recent government actions, including Vice President Kashim Shettima’s visit to Kebbi State following the abduction of schoolgirls and the withdrawal of police officers from VIP protection to address insecurity. “First, the president has not visited the victims. What has been achieved by these measures? They are inadequate,” Effiong said.
The remarks come amid a renewed wave of kidnappings and attacks in northern Nigeria. Over the past two weeks, gunmen abducted students in Kebbi and Niger states and worshippers in Kwara State, some of whom have since been released. President Tinubu postponed foreign trips and directed security agencies to tackle the crisis, but critics say the response has been insufficient.
