On the heels of mounting international scrutiny and domestic debate, Nigeria’s battle against insurgency has come under renewed focus, with both praise for the nation’s military and calls for deeper reform echoing across the country’s leadership and public discourse. This week, President Bola Tinubu and former Foreign Affairs Minister Professor Bolaji Akinyemi offered contrasting but complementary perspectives on the fight to restore peace and unity in Africa’s most populous nation.
President Tinubu, speaking at the Nigerian Guild of Editors conference in Abuja on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, lauded the sacrifices made by the Nigerian Armed Forces. He posed a challenge to the nation: “Are we doing something about it? Are we inspiring the armed forces? Are we encouraging them to fight? They put their lives on the line to defend the sovereignty of this country. It is our responsibility,” Ripples Nigeria reported. Tinubu’s comments, delivered to a hall of journalists and editors, came at a time when the country continues to wrestle with the twin threats of terrorism and banditry.
In the same breath, the President acknowledged the gravity of the insecurity plaguing various regions. “Yes, we are challenged by terrorism, banditry, and others. We recognise that,” he said, according to Ripples Nigeria. Tinubu’s speech was as much a rallying cry as it was an admission of the nation’s ongoing struggles. Yet, he also sought to reassure, pledging the government’s resolve: “The task ahead is immense. But we are resolved to move forward with unity and purpose, to defeat terrorism and build a prosperous, inclusive, and resilient Nigeria.”
While Tinubu emphasized unity and support for the military, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, took a harder line on internal challenges within Nigeria’s security apparatus. Appearing on Arise TV’s Morning Show on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, Akinyemi argued that the government must show “determination to weed out terrorists’ sympathisers in the military.” He did not mince words, alleging that “there are officers within the Nigerian Army who share intelligence reports with terrorist groups,” as reported by Tribune.
Akinyemi recounted a sobering episode from Nigeria’s recent past: the failed joint operation with the United States to rescue the Chibok girls during President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. He claimed the mission was compromised by leaks from within the Nigerian Army. “When the Americans sent the reconnaissance aircraft over the camp, what did they find? Boko Haram troops, Boko Haram militia, were wearing masks, which means somebody within the Nigerian army had leaked to Boko Haram what the plan was. The Americans pulled out. They were not going to subject their troops to this,” he recalled. According to Akinyemi, this episode underlines the urgent need for President Tinubu to “clean out those troops to make sure that there are no people within the security operation who are leaking information to either Boko Haram or the Islamic State of West Africa (ISWAP).”
But Akinyemi’s concerns go beyond military discipline. He warned against framing Nigeria’s security crisis as a purely religious conflict, even as he acknowledged the suffering of Christians in the Middle Belt. “Christians are not being killed, Muslims are not being killed. Nigerians are being killed,” he insisted. Still, he did not shy away from the reality of targeted violence: “Christians are getting killed, but they are getting killed by Muslims not by fellow Christians, Muslims are getting killed not by Christians.”
His remarks came in response to recent statements by former US President Donald Trump, who described the killing of Christians in Nigeria as a “mass slaughter” and warned that the United States “cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening.” According to Ripples Nigeria, Trump’s comments prompted the Nigerian Federal Government to urge greater understanding of the complexities of the country’s security challenges, highlighting significant achievements in counter-terrorism efforts, particularly in the northeast.
The government’s own data, released through the Presidency’s official channels on Sunday, November 9, 2025, paints a picture of progress. According to the statement, Nigeria has seen an 81 percent decrease in terror-related deaths since 2015. More than 13,000 terrorists were neutralised in the past year alone, and over 124,000 fighters and their dependents have surrendered to authorities. These figures, cited by Ripples Nigeria, reflect what officials describe as improved counter-insurgency operations and stronger collaboration between security agencies and affected communities.
Moreover, the government reports that more than 2.1 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) have returned to their communities, with reconstruction efforts underway in previously devastated areas. Since 2023, authorities have arrested, eliminated, or successfully convicted terrorists responsible for some of the most heinous attacks, including the Owo church bombing in 2022 and reprisal attacks in Benue State. Others, such as members of the Ansaru leadership, remain on trial in various courts.
Yet, for many Nigerians, these statistics tell only part of the story. The scars of violence run deep, particularly in the Middle Belt, where displacement, destruction, and fear remain daily realities. Akinyemi highlighted the plight of those forced to abandon their farms and villages, asking, “Why will a Nigerian abandon his farm, which is the main thing for sustaining his family if he’s not afraid that he will be attacked and killed on that farm?” He added, “Why would any Nigerian leave his village and go and live in an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp? He is running away for his life.”
Despite the government’s claims of progress, Akinyemi urged the administration not to become complacent. He called for a more united domestic front, warning that a lack of consensus within the country undermines the fight against terror. “We’re not united domestically, that is the consensus that must be created by Tinubu’s administration. The administration must give directives to its own troops and those troops must obey those directives if it’s necessary,” he said on Arise TV.
As the debate rages on, the international community continues to watch closely. While the US has offered support, past efforts have been stymied by concerns over operational security and human rights. Akinyemi referenced this dynamic, noting, “For the first time, we are getting a superpower who says, I want to help you clean out this mess. And then we are busy now, you know, within ourselves, fighting among ourselves.” He cautioned against letting internal divisions squander opportunities for meaningful international assistance.
The stakes could hardly be higher. For President Tinubu, the challenge lies in maintaining momentum, fostering unity, and ensuring that military gains are matched by deep institutional reforms. For critics like Akinyemi, the path forward demands not just determination, but also a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths within the ranks and across society. As Nigeria stands at this crossroads, the choices made today will shape the nation’s security—and its soul—for years to come.
