President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has alleged that the worsening insecurity in Nigeria is being sponsored by enemies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who do not want the country’s democracy to succeed.
Akpabio made the allegation in Abuja on Saturday at the public presentation of three books in honour of former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), as part of activities marking his 84th birthday.
One of the books unveiled at the event is Abdulsalami’s autobiography.
Abdulsalami became Nigeria’s Head of State in June 1998 following the death of General Sani Abacha, who ruled the country from 1993 until his death in 1998.
Less than one year after assuming office, Abdulsalami supervised a transition programme that led to the handover of power to former President Olusegun Obasanjo on May 29, 1999, ushering in Nigeria’s current democratic dispensation.
Since leaving office, Abdulsalami has remained active as an elder statesman, diplomat and peace mediator. He has served in several peace-building roles across Africa, including assignments for the Economic Community of West African States.
He currently chairs the National Peace Committee, which promotes peaceful conduct among political actors before, during and after elections.
Speaking at the event, Akpabio praised Abdulsalami for his role in Nigeria’s return to democracy, saying members of the National Assembly are beneficiaries of the democratic foundation he helped lay.
The Senate President assured the former Head of State that the Tinubu administration and security agencies were working to overcome the country’s security challenges.
“I must say that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is grappling with a lot of enemies of progress, of what you left behind. Today, many are sponsoring insecurity in our country, to paint our democracy in a bad colour. But I can tell you that with the determination of men and women in uniform, that the enemies we see today, we shall see them no more,” Akpabio said.
He expressed confidence that Nigeria would defeat terrorism and poverty, adding that the example left by Abdulsalami would continue to inspire the country’s democratic journey.
“You can imagine in a country where a child will stand up to kill the father because of Tramadol and because of all sorts of… I don’t know how to put it. But I can tell you, no matter the insecurity we see today, with men like you, the example you have left behind, we will definitely defeat terrorism. We will defeat poverty in this country. And Nigeria will take its rightful place in the global community,” he said.
Akpabio also assured Abdulsalami that his contributions to Nigeria’s democratic development would not be forgotten.
His comments come amid renewed concerns over Nigeria’s security situation, despite repeated assurances by President Tinubu that his administration is making progress in tackling insecurity.
Since Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, several parts of the country have continued to witness attacks by armed groups, including terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and violent criminal gangs.
The violence has been particularly severe in states such as Benue, Plateau, Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, Borno and parts of the North-Central region.
Reports by rights and security organisations have also raised concerns over killings, abductions and displacement of communities across the country.
Amnesty International had reported that at least 10,217 people were killed in attacks by armed groups during the first two years of the Tinubu administration, with Benue and Plateau states recording some of the highest casualties.
The organisation also reported that hundreds of communities were displaced and several villages overrun by armed groups.
Kidnapping for ransom has also remained a major challenge. A report by SBM Intelligence documented 4,722 abductions across Nigeria between July 2024 and June 2025, with families and communities reportedly paying at least ₦2.57 billion in ransom to secure the release of victims.
The report described kidnapping as an increasingly lucrative criminal enterprise fuelled by weak law enforcement and economic hardship.
Several mass abductions have also occurred under the current administration, including attacks on schools, highways and rural communities.
Farmers in many parts of the country have also complained of being unable to access their farmlands due to persistent attacks by bandits and armed groups.
Akpabio, however, maintained that the government would overcome the current security crisis, insisting that those behind insecurity would not succeed in destroying the democratic foundation laid by Abdulsalami and other leaders who midwifed Nigeria’s return to civil rule.
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