President Bola Tinubu has cautioned Nigerians against trading blame along ethnic lines over the country’s fight against insecurity.
In his 2026 Democracy Day speech, the president urged all
Nigerians to unite against terrorists and bandits, adding that “crime has no
ethnicity”.
Tinubu also spoke on the recent attacks in Oyo and Borno
states, saying there is hope that the abducted schoolchildren will eventually
be released from captivity.
“Though this year’s mood is dampened by the abduction of our
children in Oyo and Borno, we remain hopeful for their safe return. Democracy
without security is a mirage. That is why this administration declared a
security emergency and approved the recruitment of more than 50,000 new police
officers and thousands of military recruits. Our 2026 budget commits N5.41
trillion—our largest ever—to defence and security. Our administration is ever
ready to do much more to secure our people,” the speech reads in part.
“We have moved from training with our allies, the United
States, France and other European countries, to precision targeting. In Arege,
Borno State, we degraded ISWAP’s command centre. Terror-related deaths are down
by 81% since 2015. Over 13,000 terrorists have been neutralised in the past
year. But we also keep the door of surrender open. Over 124,000 fighters and
dependents have laid down their arms since 2023 through Operation Safe
Corridor.
“At a time like this, let us not assign blame or point
fingers. Crime has no ethnicity. We must stand united and be assured that the
enemies of our nation shall soon be history. We will triumph over terror and
continue to build a more prosperous nation.
“Let us move forward together—rejecting division, cynicism,
and despair; embracing unity, hope, and confidence. Let us build a Nigeria
united by a common purpose, strengthened by diversity, where justice is
accessible, liberty is secure, and opportunity is abundant.”
The president also spoke on a window of surrender for
non-state actors and terror financiers, urging them to take advantage of it
before it is too late.
“To bandits, kidnappers, and sponsors of terror: Surrender
or face the full force of the Nigerian State. These windows of surrender will
not remain open forever. No mercy will be shown to those who trade in the blood
of Nigerians,” he said.
LIKE TINUBU, LIKE OBI
Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic
Congress (NDC), had also recently cautioned against framing crime along ethnic
lines.
Obi said many Nigerians have experienced stereotyping and
discrimination because of their ethnic backgrounds, warning that such
tendencies threaten national unity.
The former Anambra governor said he understood the
challenges faced by ordinary Fulani people who are often judged by the actions
of criminal elements operating in parts of the country.
“I understand the pain of the ordinary Fulani man today,
often unfairly judged by the actions of criminals he does not support, has
never met, and who are not representative of his people,” he said.
Obi argued that criminality should be treated as an
individual offence rather than an ethnic identity.
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