By Peter Omopo
The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has dismissed former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi’s claim that Nigeria has become a “killing field” under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Obi, in a post on his X handle on Monday, had alleged that more than 10,000 Nigerians were killed by terrorists, bandits, and criminal gangs in the past two years, citing figures from Amnesty International.
Reacting on Tuesday, the Lagos APC spokesman, Mr. Seye Oladejo, described Obi’s statement as “baseless, sensationalist, and a distortion of reality,” insisting that Tinubu’s government had recorded “tangible and verifiable successes” in tackling insecurity.
Oladejo cited the Ministry of Defence’s midterm report (August 2023–April 2025), which indicated that 9,415 terrorists were neutralised, 3,159 suspects arrested, and 5,449 hostages rescued. He also referenced Defence Headquarters’ two-year summary, showing that 6,260 terrorists were killed, 14,138 suspects arrested, 5,365 civilians rescued, and N83bn worth of stolen crude recovered.
According to him, military operations across different regions yielded results:
- North-East (Operation Hadin Kai): 1,246 terrorists killed, 2,467 arrested, 1,920 civilians rescued.
- North-West (Operation Fasan Yamma): 1,374 bandits killed, 2,160 arrested or surrendered, 3,288 hostages freed.
He further highlighted recent airstrikes in Katsina, which freed 76 hostages kidnapped during a mosque attack, though one child died during the operation. Similar strikes in Borno eliminated dozens of militants and stabilised communication routes.
Oladejo also pointed to major military upgrades under Tinubu, including the acquisition of 24 M346 attack jets, 10 AW109 helicopters, and locally produced defence equipment such as MRAPs, drones, and over 4.6 million rounds of ammunition.
He added that the Coalition for Human Rights and Freedom had commended Nigeria’s armed forces for neutralising over 13,500 terrorists and rescuing nearly 10,000 hostages in two years.
“The Nigerian Armed Forces, under this administration, are not only standing tall, but are striking back aggressively, saving lives and securing our nation,” Oladejo said.
He urged Obi to “acknowledge the progress made or risk being left behind in baseless political dramatics.”
