As Nigeria approaches one other normal election, repeated presidential directives to the army and safety and intelligence companies to dismantle terrorist networks, curb insecurity and rescue kidnapped residents increase vital questions on their effectiveness and why kidnappings and armed violence persist regardless of successive administrations’ guarantees to restore peace, writes Linus Aleke.
President Bola Tinubu’s newest directive to the army and different safety companies to dismantle terrorist networks and rescue Nigerians nonetheless held captive by violent extremists has reignited debate in regards to the authorities’s response to insecurity and the effectiveness of repeated presidential orders.
Speaking by way of the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd), after a National Security Council assembly on the State House, Abuja, the President additionally assured Nigerians of his dedication to free, honest and credible elections in 2027. He directed safety companies to stay impartial through the elections, permitting residents to train their franchise with out intimidation or coercion.
Addressing newsmen after the assembly, Musa mentioned the safety chiefs had briefed the President on the nation’s safety state of affairs forward of the forthcoming polls.
“We had an intensive discussion, and Mr President made it very clear that he wants a free, fair and credible election. We must do everything possible to ensure that the country is safe and secure for citizens to go out and vote,” he mentioned.
The minister assured political events and different stakeholders that safety personnel would stay neutral, including that Nigerians ought to really feel protected sufficient to vote for candidates of their selection with out concern of intimidation.
However, the most recent directive has reignited questions in regards to the hole between presidential guarantees and safety outcomes. Critics argue that successive administrations have repeatedly ordered safety companies to restore peace, significantly forward of elections, just for kidnappings and armed violence to persist.
Since assuming workplace on May 29, 2023, Tinubu had issued a number of directives to fight terrorism and banditry and rescue kidnapped residents.
On 8 March 2024, following abductions in Borno and Kaduna states, he ordered safety and intelligence companies to safe the victims’ launch. The following day, he particularly directed safety companies to go away no stone unturned in rescuing pupils and academics kidnapped from Kuriga, Kaduna State.
On 30 October 2025, amid persistent assaults, he charged newly appointed service chiefs to intensify operations in opposition to terrorism and banditry. On 25 November, following the kidnapping of schoolgirls in Maga, Kebbi State, and different kidnapping incidents, he ordered intensified efforts to rescue these nonetheless in captivity.
On 8 December, he reportedly issued one other directive regarding college students kidnapped from St Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State.
On 4 January 2026, following an assault involving killings and abductions in Niger State, he directed the army, police and Department of State Services to observe down the perpetrators and rescue the victims.
On 25 August, following one other mass abduction and killings in Niger State, he ordered a right away rescue operation and demanded common updates from safety chiefs.
Most lately, on 15 October 2026, following a safety assembly on the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Tinubu directed service chiefs and different safety company heads to dismantle terrorist and bandit camps, rescue kidnapped Nigerians and strengthen safety forward of the 2027 normal elections.
These reported events illustrate the recurring nature of presidential safety directives amid persistent kidnappings, assaults on faculties and communities, and threats from armed teams.
The sample predates the Tinubu administration. Since Boko Haram emerged as a serious safety menace in 2009, successive Nigerian presidents have repeatedly ordered safety companies to fight terrorism, curb banditry and rescue kidnapped residents.
Under former President Goodluck Jonathan, the kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno State, on 14 April 2014, triggered nationwide and worldwide outrage and intensified scrutiny of the federal government’s dealing with of the insurgency forward of the 2015 normal elections.
His successor, Muhammadu Buhari, confronted related strain following the kidnapping of 110 schoolgirls from Dapchi, Yobe State, on 19 February 2018, lower than a 12 months earlier than the 2019 elections.
Although the timing of such incidents doesn’t set up that they had been politically motivated, insecurity throughout election intervals heightens public scrutiny of authorities efficiency and the credibility of safety guarantees. It additionally raises considerations about whether or not the persistent menace of violence might discourage voter participation or undermine confidence within the electoral course of.
Commenting on Tinubu’s newest directive, safety analyst, Umar Bologi argued that successive presidential orders had failed to ship lasting safety as a result of the issue prolonged past political pronouncements to shortcomings in implementation, intelligence coordination, operational capability and accountability.
He acknowledged that safety companies had recorded successes in counter-terrorism, anti-banditry and anti-kidnapping operations, together with rescuing kidnapped residents and neutralising armed teams. However, he mentioned these good points had been regularly undermined by prison networks that retained entry to weapons, ransom cash, native informants and ungoverned areas the place they may regroup.
“The real test is not the forcefulness of a presidential directive, but whether it is backed by genuine political commitment, sustained operations, reliable intelligence, effective policing, the prosecution of financiers and collaborators, and the protection of communities after military operations end,” Bologi mentioned.
Without these measures, he argued, safety forces may disrupt prison teams with out dismantling the networks that maintain them.
He additionally raised considerations in regards to the doable exploitation of insecurity throughout election intervals, warning that political sponsorship, unlawful arms proliferation, weak border controls and violence supposed to intimidate opponents or affect electoral outcomes should not be ignored.
Bologi referred to as for a shift from reactive, presidentially ordered operations to a constant, intelligence-led nationwide safety technique impartial of political strain and the electoral calendar. He added that safety companies have to be held accountable for measurable outcomes, whereas anybody discovered to be sponsoring or defending armed teams ought to face prosecution, regardless of standing.
A veteran defence editor and writer of Security Digest Online, Chief Chidi Omeje, equally argued that the effectiveness of presidential directives must be measured by their impression on public security moderately than the forcefulness of their announcement.
He noticed that Nigeria had by no means lacked safety directives; moderately, the persistent problem was the hole between presidential orders and operational outcomes.
“Dismantling terrorist networks and rescuing citizens in captivity require more than renewed commands to service chiefs. They demand actionable intelligence, effective inter-agency coordination, adequate equipment, accountability for results and the political will to pursue not only terrorists but also their financiers, informants and collaborators,” Omeje mentioned.
He careworn the significance of addressing governance failures, poverty and prison economies that create fertile floor for insecurity.
As Nigeria approaches one other normal election, he mentioned, the federal government should display that safety is a seamless nationwide obligation moderately than a recurring political promise. The credibility of the most recent directives, he added, would rely upon whether or not communities turned safer, kidnappings declined, terrorist networks misplaced their operational capability and extra captives returned dwelling alive.
Omeje additionally emphasised that safety companies should stay professionally impartial and be certain that preparations for credible elections don’t distract them from their constitutional accountability to shield all Nigerians.
Ultimately, he argued, lasting safety would rely upon constant implementation, measurable outcomes and a complete technique that makes it more and more troublesome for terrorists to function.
A public affairs analyst, Festus Fifen provided a extra vital evaluation, describing repeated presidential directives to safety companies as more and more ritualistic.
He famous that, as Commander-in-Chief, the President was anticipated to situation orders in response to safety threats, and such pronouncements might reassure the general public that the federal government was taking motion. However, he mentioned the persistent hole between official assurances and tangible outcomes remained a serious concern.
Fifen recognized the absence of a dependable nationwide database for figuring out, monitoring and prosecuting criminals as one of Nigeria’s main safety weaknesses. He argued that a number of identities, inconsistent addresses and insufficient mechanisms for tracing suspects made it troublesome to maintain offenders accountable.
He additionally pointed to huge ungoverned areas and restricted operational capability, which he mentioned left safety companies reacting to assaults moderately than stopping them.
Consequently, he argued, criminality usually continued with out significant penalties, making presidential directives seem largely symbolic.
Fifen expressed specific concern about insecurity throughout election intervals, arguing that violence might be exploited to create concern, discourage voter turnout and intimidate residents, doubtlessly facilitating electoral manipulation.
“When communities feel unsafe, eligible voters may stay away from polling stations, while those who vote may be too frightened to challenge irregularities,” he mentioned.
He additionally urged the media to report safety threats precisely with out unnecessarily amplifying public concern, warning that sensational narratives in regards to the impossibility of conducting protected elections might additional undermine confidence.
Fifen maintained that presidential directives have to be supported by efficient intelligence, dependable identification techniques, stronger safety operations and accountability if they’re to ship lasting safety and shield residents’ democratic rights.
The views expressed by the three specialists converge on a central situation: Nigeria’s safety problem is not merely the absence of presidential orders however the issue of translating them into sustainable outcomes.
Their observations level to the necessity for higher intelligence, stronger coordination amongst safety companies, improved prison identification techniques, enough operational sources and the prosecution of those that finance or facilitate armed violence.
They additionally spotlight the significance of defending weak communities after army operations, addressing the situations that maintain prison networks and guaranteeing that safety companies stay neutral throughout elections.
As the nation approaches the 2027 normal elections, the effectiveness of Tinubu’s newest directive will in the end be judged by its consequence: fewer kidnappings, safer communities, dismantling of prison networks, profitable rescues and accountability for perpetrators.
Repeated presidential orders might sign political resolve, however they can’t substitute for sustained implementation and efficient establishments. The enduring query is whether or not successive administrations can transfer past issuing acquainted assurances and set up a safety system succesful of stopping assaults, defending residents and preserving the integrity of the electoral course of.
