Year: 2025

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has strongly criticised a recent report by Amnesty International, describing it as lacking in context and failing to recognise the significant achievements of the Nigerian Armed Forces in combating insecurity across the country. The DHQ said the report, which accused the government of failing to protect citizens from relentless attacks by armed groups and bandits, was based on “sweeping generalisations” and “unverified statistics.” Amnesty International had claimed that at least 10,217 people were killed and 672 villages destroyed in the past two years, with Benue State accounting for the highest casualties at 6,896 deaths, followed by Plateau State with 2,630. However, in a statement on Friday, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, refuted the claims, insisting they misrepresented the security situation and ignored the asymmetric nature of the threats Nigeria faces. Kangye highlighted that under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the Armed Forces have neutralised over 5,000 insurgents and bandits, liberated 350 communities previously under terrorist control, and rescued over 1,200 kidnapped civilians. He added that the sustained military presence in volatile areas like Zamfara, Plateau, and Benue States has enabled displaced persons to begin returning home safely. Kangye dismissed Amnesty’s claim that 6,896 people were killed in Benue as “humongous and misleading,” saying the military’s records show 693 deaths in the state during the review period. The DHQ also pointed to successful operations in Zamfara, where over 2,000 military offensives were conducted, resulting in the rescue of 687 abductees, the neutralisation of 1,500 terrorists, and the destruction of several bandit enclaves. Kangye urged Amnesty International and other civil society groups to be cautious in their reporting and to recognise the complex socio-political realities the military confronts in restoring peace across Nigeria.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, has said many Nigerians blame the President for the country’s challenges because they suffer from a “short memory” and often forget the state of the nation before Tinubu assumed office. Speaking during an interview on Arise TV on Friday, Onanuga argued that critics of the administration fail to consider the economic and structural problems Tinubu inherited when he took office in May 2023. According to him, Nigerians are too quick to forget the fuel shortages, foreign exchange crises, and heavy subsidy debts that plagued the nation prior to Tinubu’s emergence as President. Onanuga recalled that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) had significantly reduced fuel imports due to the federal government’s failure to settle over ₦4 trillion in unpaid subsidy claims. He noted that the fuel scarcity witnessed during the 2023 elections forced Tinubu to announce the removal of the subsidy on his first day in office, a decision aimed at reviving the oil sector and stabilising fuel supply. Defending the controversial reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration, including the subsidy removal and foreign exchange unification, Onanuga insisted these were necessary measures to correct systemic imbalances and ensure long-term stability. He urged Nigerians to give the President credit for tackling issues that previous governments avoided, emphasising that the administration’s actions have started yielding positive results, despite the initial hardships. Onanuga concluded by highlighting the government’s commitment to transparency and its efforts to ease the burden on citizens, pointing to the steps taken to stabilise the forex market and attract investment into the economy.Tools