Insecurity: Adebayo faults Tinubu’s reactive army deployment

By Sunday Ani

Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 general elections, Prince Adewole has condemned President Bola Tinubu’s handling of rising insecurity, warning that Nigeria is “sleepwalking into the next tragedy” as violence continues to spread.

Reacting to the reported deployment of the Nigerian Army to Kwara State following fresh attacks, through his verified X account, ,@Pres_Adewole, he argued that the Federal Government’s approach remains dangerously reactive rather than strategic.

“Tinubu is not acting decisively; he is reacting,” Adebayo said, noting that military deployments often come after bandits had already carried out attacks and fled. According to him, such delayed responses fail to deter criminals who have learnt to strike swiftly and disappear before security forces arrive.

The former presidential candidate questioned how many violent incidents Nigerians must endure before a proactive security strategy is adopted. “How many attacks have we witnessed this year? How many more do we need to witness?” he asked.

Adebayo warned that unless the government changes course, the country may only be waiting for the next inevitable tragedy. His remarks add to growing public concern over persistent insecurity across several states, despite repeated assurances from the federal government.

The comments have sparked renewed debate online on whether Nigeria’s security architecture is equipped to prevent attacks or merely respond after lives have been lost.

His tweet: “Tinubu has now deployed the army in Kwara State to respond to the violence. Herein lies the problem. Tinubu is not acting decisively, he is reacting. This does not deter bandits. They are already long gone when the army arrives.

“How many attacks have we witnessed this year? How many more do we need to witness? If the government continues with this strategy, the next tragedy is waiting around the corner.”