Insecurity: Nigerians safer under Tinubu  —  Bwala

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has asserted that Nigerians are safer under the current administration than they were before 2023, arguing that key indicators of insecurity have significantly improved since Tinubu assumed office.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Bwala said incidents such as prison breaks and broad daylight kidnappings, which were frequent in the country before Tinubu’s presidency, have largely stopped.

“Nigerians are superlatively safer today than they were. You know, before 2023, there were prison breaks everywhere in Nigeria — even here in Abuja. You couldn’t come out; in broad daylight, they would come and kidnap people — before President Bola Tinubu came on board,” Bwala declared.

“After he became president, we have not had prison breaks. People are going about their businesses all over the country. We see skirmishes of insecurity every now and then, which is usual.

He also compared Nigeria’s crime rate to that of developed nations, arguing that the country’s challenges are often exaggerated.

“If you look at the crime record now, the crimes that are committed in America in one day are more than the ones committed in Nigeria.” Bwala said.

Bwala also used the platform to address recent allegations by U.S. lawmakers, led by Senator Ted Cruz, accusing the Nigerian government of enabling a “Christian genocide.”

He dismissed the claims as baseless and politically motivated, insisting that insecurity in Nigeria is not driven by religion.

“The genocide claim is an orchestrated agenda,” he said, alleging that the report relied upon by the U.S. senators originated from a local civil society group with ties to the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

“This report was written by the Inter Liberty Civil Society and Rule of Law; it is founded in Nigeria and it is in Onitsha. Most of the responses they made were in this report. If you look at this report, which was first published in August and then updated in September, you will know that this is a pure case of agenda, and it has IPOB backing,” he stated.

The presidential aide further suggested that the controversy gained momentum after Vice President Kashim Shettima’s speech at the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September, claiming that Nigeria’s global visibility may have triggered political pushback from certain quarters.

Bwala reaffirmed that the Tinubu administration is committed to improving national security through sustained reforms and strategic interventions, while urging Nigerians to acknowledge the progress recorded so far.

“Insecurity is not tied to any faith or group. No religion is being targeted,” he emphasized.

“What we are seeing is a gradual improvement in law and order, and Nigerians can see that their country is becoming safer.”