Tinubu's Renewed Hope: Jubilation as 8,000 Terrorists Killed

• Bello Matawalle, minister of state for defence, disclosed that no fewer than 8,000 terrorists and bandits were neutralised across Nigeria in 2024 under the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu
• Speaking while assessing the performance of the current government, Matawalle credited the purported security gains to the renewed operational strategies and leadership focus brought by the Tinubu administration
• The minister explained that beyond the killings, over 11,600 criminals were arrested while security forces recovered more than 10,000 illegal firearms from various theatres of operation across Nigeria

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering public affairs.

FCT, Abuja - Bello Matawalle, the minister of state for defence, has shared that over 8,000 terrorists and bandits were killed in 2024.

As reported on Tuesday, May 6, by The Punch, Matawalle stated that more than 11,600 criminal elements had been apprehended too while over 10,000 assorted weapons were recovered in the period under review.

War against terrorism in Nigeria: Tinubu's minister delighted

According to the former Zamfara state governor, these were clear indicators that President Bola Tinubu is winning the fight against insecurity.

Speaking in Abuja on Monday, May 5, Matawalle highlighted the establishment of the Multi-Agency Anti-Kidnap Fusion Cell (MAAKFC) as a major achievement in boosting strategic coordination and combating kidnapping across the country. He emphasised that the military’s success reflected Tinubu’s broader security reforms.

Furthermore, Matawalle praised the administration’s economic efforts, particularly the creation of the ministry of livestock development, which he said is designed to harness the north’s agricultural potential, spur economic growth, and empower millions of citizens.

He cited a recent drop in grain prices as proof of the effectiveness of the government’s agricultural policies.

Lingering terrorism challenge in Nigeria

For more than 15 years, Nigeria’s armed forces have battled Boko Haram, bandits, and groups affiliated with ISIL (ISIS), with millions affected and thousands killed. Despite government claims of “technical defeat”, rebel attacks persist, raising critical questions about strategy and accountability.

A new armed group called Lakurawa is attacking villages in remote corners of northwestern Nigeria and across the border in Niger, posing new threats to two countries that already suffer from protracted conflict involving several other groups, including Boko Haram.

Attacks by the group have killed dozens of people, and at least nine suspected members are known and have been declared wanted by the Nigerian army.

The northern region is one of the hottest beds of violence in Nigeria, with its states experiencing a toxic mix of armed attacks, kidnappings and banditry in recent years.

Experts offer ways Nigeria can improve security

Meanwhile, Matthew Page, an associate fellow in the Chatham House think tank’s Africa Programme, said the Nigerian armed forces are capable but spread thin, performing too many internal security tasks that should be the responsibility of the police.

Speaking during an expert panel hosted by the Brookings Institution, Page encouraged “sustained, high-level political will and a president capable of planning and seeing through a programme of security sector reform designed to overcome resistance from the security sector.”

Idayat Hassan, director of the Lagos-based Centre for Democracy and Development, advised “a shift in mindset from symptom to cause and an immediate investment in peacebuilding initiatives along [ethnic and religious] fault lines.

Shehu Sani speaks on banditry, terrorism

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Shehu Sani, a former senator from Kaduna state, addressed the difference between banditry and terrorism.

Senator Sani disclosed this while speaking on a space on X created by Legit.ng.

The northern politician said while terrorism entails the premeditated use of cruelty by an ideologically motivated individual or group, banditry refers to financially motivated armed violence perpetrated by gangs.

Source: Legit.ng