Insecurity Claims More Than 200 Nigerian Lives Under Tinubu’s Watch in 3 Weeks

Insecurity Claims More Than 200 Nigerian Lives Under Tinubu’s Watch in 3 Weeks

 

Terror attacks have claimed more than 200 Nigerian lives within June’s first three weeks under President Bola Tinubu’s watch.

The terrible loss of lives is a crisis symptom that Tinubu once condemned a predecessor for.

Tinubu once demanded the resignation of then-President Goodluck Jonathan for failing to stop deadly bombings, mass abductions and armed raids across the country.

In 2013 and 2014, he said the government’s inability to prevent attacks or protect citizens showed a collapse of intelligence and leadership.

But 11 years later, with Tinubu in office, hundreds of Nigerians have been killed within weeks in a single month under similar and worse circumstances.

In March 2013, Tinubu said Jonathan should step down because he had failed to act on security threats.

“If it is happening in these other states for some of these years and you have not gathered enough intelligence to nip it in the bud, you have failed,” he said.

“Please resign. You cannot continue to blame one IGP or the other.”

In April 2014, following a bomb blast at Nyanya Motor Park in Abuja that killed over 70 people, Tinubu again criticised Jonathan in a series of posts on X:

“This morning’s bomb blast in Yanyan, Abuja and the mindless deaths is dastardly. It is an indictment of the Jonathan government.

“A govt unable to protect its citizens deserves to be queried.
“Nigeria’s security outlook is depressing. The unending attacks suggest a failure of intelligence.

“On matters of security, the bulk stops at the President’s table. Just as Jonathan laps up praises, he must bear responsibility and accept blame over Boko Haram’s deadly attacks.

“Too many lives are being wasted, too much blood being shed… yet this government carries on with its cavalier attitude. Nigerians are tired of excuses and explanations. They want protection for their lives and property.”

In December 2014, he repeated the call for Jonathan’s resignation, saying: “If you control the armed forces and you are the Commander-in-Chief… why should any part of this country be under occupation? And you give us excuses every day. In any civilised country, Jonathan should have resigned.

“If he will not resign, he should wait for our broom. We will sweep him away.”

Tinubu spoke just days after a bomb ripped through Nyanya in Abuja on 14 April, killing over 70 commuters as they waited for buses under the midday sun.

He spoke again after the world learnt more than 270 girls had been abducted from their school dormitories in Chibok, Borno State.

Eleven years later, multiple incidents in June across six northern states resulted in over 200 deaths.

Between the last weeks of May and June 1, gunmen entered two farming communities in Gwer West LGA of Benue State at daybreak. Residents who had gone out to harvest cassava and groundnuts were shot in open fields.

Others were killed near storage barns and footpaths linking the villages. Local officials said 45 bodies were recovered before dusk. The attackers left before security forces arrived from Makurdi.

On June 1, an improvised explosive device detonated at a commercial bus terminal in Maiduguri, Borno State. The device had been concealed in a bag placed near a roadside snack stall, metres from loading bays.

Eyewitnesses reported that the explosion occurred just after 5 pm. Nine people died on the spot, including two children. Several vehicles were damaged, and soldiers cordoned off the area shortly before nightfall.

On June 2, a Nigerian Air Force jet conducting a counterinsurgency operation in Dansadau district, Zamfara State, dropped aerial ordnance on coordinates flagged by field agents. The intended target was a suspected insurgent encampment.

However, the munitions struck a wedding party taking place in a clearing behind a cluster of huts. Witnesses said the aircraft made two passes before releasing payloads. Twenty civilians were confirmed dead by local authorities. Survivors were taken to a military medical post at Gusau.

On June 11, herders armed with rifles launched coordinated raids on at least four villages in Mangu LGA, Plateau State. The attacks began around midnight and continued for several hours.

Homes were set ablaze, and residents who attempted to flee through forest paths were shot. Community leaders reported 20 deaths and widespread destruction of property. Makeshift camps were set up at nearby schools to shelter survivors.

On June 14, gunmen entered three villages in Guma LGA, Benue State, at around 8:30 pm. The attackers overran local vigilante groups and used motorcycles to block escape routes.

Witnesses said houses were doused in petrol and set alight. As residents ran, gunmen opened fire. By morning, local authorities and community volunteers had counted more than 100 bodies, with many others unaccounted for.

On 21 June, a woman wearing an explosive vest entered a restaurant in Konduga, Borno State. The establishment was crowded with late diners. According to the police, the device was triggered near the service counter. Ten people were confirmed dead at the scene, with another twelve injured and transferred to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital.

Across June 2025, at least 204 people were killed in reported incidents. Security agencies have launched investigations, but no major arrests have been announced.

The frequency, method and impact of these attacks closely resemble the period that drew public rebuke from Tinubu himself over a decade ago.

At the time, Tinubu framed the situation as a failure of national leadership and called for accountability. The same questions remain today.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has continued to discredit independent analysis of Nigeria’s security lapses.

The latest incident is the Defence Headquarters’ dismissal of an Amnesty International report that recorded thousands of deaths from violent incidents across the country within the last 12 months.

According to Amnesty International, Nigeria recorded at least 10,217 deaths in the past two years, with Benue and Plateau states topping the list. The group also said more than 672 villages had been sacked.