Massacre outrage: Adebayo blames Tinubu’s “leadership failure” for Nationwide insecurity

The recent spate of deadly attacks in Bassa and Bokkos (Plateau State), Benue, and Borno states, resulting in hundreds of fatalities, has ignited a wave of public outrage across Nigeria. While some attribute the violence to a deliberate Fulani agenda aimed at displacing indigenous communities under the guise of herder-farmer conflicts, others, including Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader Prince Adewole Adebayo, have placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of the national leadership.

In a scathing interview conducted on April 27th, Adebayo accused President Bola Tinubu of lacking the necessary knowledge and strategic vision to address Nigeria’s escalating insecurity, a crisis that predates Tinubu’s 2023 election. “He’s bereft of ideas,” Adebayo asserted, highlighting that his SDP campaigned on a platform that recognized the inextricable link between poverty and insecurity.

He pointed to the persistent insecurity since the 2014 Chibok abductions, noting that over 7,222 lives were lost in 2022 alone, and attributed the ongoing communal tensions and retaliatory attacks to systemic governance failures.

Despite Nigeria’s substantial military expenditure, amounting to ₦4.4 trillion between 2020 and 2025, Adebayo lamented the government’s glaring failures in intelligence gathering and rapid response.

He proposed a comprehensive national policy for herder mobility, supported by an insurance scheme to mitigate cattle and crop losses, drawing from his own experience in ranching in Adamawa and the South West. “I lost two cows recently, but I’m self-insured. A national insurance programme could prevent conflicts,” he suggested.

Adebayo categorically labeled Boko Haram, banditry, and kidnappings as criminal acts, not mere communal clashes, and criticized the government’s inaction, particularly in Bassa, where unresolved disputes continue to fuel retaliatory violence.

Quoting the renowned Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, he described Tinubu as “a full-fledged mascot of leadership failure,” urging him to demonstrate empathy and a visible presence as Commander-in-Chief, rather than merely “wear agbada and celebrate.”

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Adebayo dismissed claims that criticism is easier from the outside, suggesting that if Tinubu feels overwhelmed by the responsibilities of his office, he should resign, as permitted by the Constitution.

“He hasn’t even lifted the weight; he’s just enjoying himself, doing fashion, holding the trophy,” he said, drawing a parallel to weightlifters who drop unmanageable loads.

Furthermore, Adebayo cautioned against calls for citizens to arm themselves, as proposed by former Defense Minister Gen. T.Y. Danjuma, warning that such a move could lead to reckless killings.

Instead, he advocated for the implementation of advanced intelligence systems and community-aligned security justice mechanisms.