According
to the ADC, the continued mass k!llings across the country suggest that
the measures were either ineffective or were merely declarations in the
first place.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned the k!lling of
about 170 people in Kwara State, describing the incident as a clear sign
of a complete breakdown of security under the Federal Government led by
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a statement to Naija News on Friday and signed by its National
Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party questioned what had
become of the President’s declaration of a state of emergency on
security and the promised recruitment of thousands of police officers.
According to the ADC, the continued mass k!llings across the country
suggest that the measures were either ineffective or were merely
declarations in the first place.
The party also queried whether the heightened security activities
witnessed last year, following comments by the President of the United
States, were aimed at earning international approval rather than
addressing insecurity at home.
The ADC said the scale and frequency of k!llings nationwide show that
whatever steps the government claims to have taken are not working,
adding that the current approach is merely redistributing terror rather
than eliminating it.
The statement read in part: “The African Democratic Congress
condemns in the strongest possible terms the recent gruesome k!lling of
about 170 innocent Nigerians in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara
State. This horrific massacre is one of the worst atrocities recorded in
recent times and stands as a painful reminder of the complete collapse
of security across the country.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims
and to the people of Kwara State, who have once again been abandoned to
mourn their de@d in a nation that appears incapable of protecting its
citizens.”
The party noted growing concerns that the attackers may be part of
terrorist elements recently dispersed by United States Christmas Day
military action in Sokoto State, who are now relocating to other states
due to weak internal security coordination.
It said the implication of such movements, evident from large-scale
k!llings in areas previously considered safe, is that the Tinubu
administration is not winning the war against terror.
“Whatever the government is doing is not defeating terrorism; it is merely redistributing it,” the ADC said.
The party said incidents ranging from mass abductions in Kaduna State
to mass k!llings in Kwara State highlight deep structural failures in
Nigeria’s internal security system.
It identified intelligence gathering, border control, inter-agency
collaboration and emergency response capability as major weak points.
The ADC asked Nigerians to reflect on the President’s declaration of a
state of emergency on security announced in November 2025, questioning
whether it was a genuine commitment or a rhetorical response to rising
domestic and international pressure.
It also recalled the announcement of a large-scale recruitment into the Nigeria Police Force as part of the emergency response.
“Tens of thousands of personnel were reportedly approved for
recruitment. Nigerians deserve to know what has become of that promise.
Have the recruits been employed, trained and deployed, or has the
exercise quietly stalled?” the party asked.
It argued that if such measures had been properly implemented, rural
communities like those in Kwara State would not have been left exposed
to mass slaughter.
The ADC further criticised what it described as performative security
actions witnessed last year when Nigeria projected firmness following
public comments and tweets by the U.S. President on insecurity.
It said the urgency displayed at the time had since faded, raising
concerns that the response was more about impressing foreign observers
than protecting Nigerian lives.
The party said Nigeria’s security crisis had moved beyond the
competence and capacity of the Tinubu-led administration, noting that
k!llings had become routine while accountability had disappeared.
According to the ADC, government responses have been reduced to condolences and condemnations after each tragedy.
“The African Democratic Congress therefore calls on the Federal
Government to come clean with Nigerians on the true state of national
security, to account for the promised security recruitment, and to
explain how it intends to stop the spread and relocation of terrorist
groups across states,” the statement said.
