Public outrage is mounting across the country following President Bola Tinubu’s departure for a two-day state visit to the United Kingdom, coming just hours after a series of devastating suicide bombings rocked Borno State.
The deadly Borno bombings, which targeted a teaching hospital and a bustling local market, have left at least 23 people dead and over 100 others wounded, once again bringing Nigeria’s security crisis to the forefront of national discourse.
The explosions began Monday night at approximately 7:30 p.m. local time. The first blast occurred at the entrance of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, followed shortly by two more at the popular Monday Market and the Post Office business hub.
While no group has officially claimed responsibility, the nature of the attacks bears the hallmarks of Boko Haram or its splinter factions, which have intensified their campaign in the North East this month.
Aside from the fact that the President jetted out of the country for the United Kingdom, Vice President Kashim Shettima is also currently in Anambra State for the inauguration of Governor Charles Soludo.
Critics and citizens alike have taken to social media to express their frustration, questioning the timing of the President’s international trip while the nation grieves.
Many argued that the Commander-in-Chief should have remained on the ground or visited the scene of the tragedy rather than delegating the response to security chiefs.
Amidst the criticism, the President issued a statement condemning the attacks as “desperate acts of the evil-minded” and expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased.
The President has also ordered the nation’s top security officials to relocate to Maiduguri immediately to take charge of the situation and prevent further incursions.
He also praised the Nigerian Armed Forces for repelling coordinated assaults on military positions and vowed that “there is no place in Nigeria where terrorists will find safety. We will locate them, confront them, and completely defeat them.”
He confirmed that emergency agencies have been instructed to provide proper care for the injured and said additional equipment and operational support had been approved for security forces during a recent security meeting over the weekend.
However, the statement has been described as not sufficient by many citizens. Many have called on the president to do more to secure the lives and properties of Nigerians.
Reacting, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has asked the federal government to review its security strategy following the Borno bombings.
In a statement issued by his media office on Tuesday, Abubakar condemned the attacks, noting that the north-east had experienced calm from bombings.
“I am very sad at the latest terrorist attacks in Borno State and the resurfacing of suicide bombings that were hitherto defeated,” Abubakar said.
The former Vice President said the renewed waves of killing of soldiers and civilians by terrorists are reviving sad memories of 2014, when Boko Haram was most active in the country.
“While I commend the sacrifices of our servicemen in the conduct of unconventional warfare, the Tinubu administration should review its strategies. The resurgence of terrorism is capable of eroding public confidence in the ability of the government to protect its own citizens,” Abubakar said.
“Nigerians are not impressed with the government’s statements condemning terrorist attacks. They are more concerned about results. Results speak louder than the tough government’s rhetoric.”
Also, a former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank slammed Tinubu’s state visit to the United Kingdom.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Frank described the visit as “callous, indefensible and morally bankrupt” in the wake of renewed bombings in Maiduguri.
“This is not just another attack – it is a national emergency. Our people are being slaughtered, our soldiers are under relentless assault, yet the President is preparing for a ceremonial outing in the UK. That is not leadership; that is abdication of responsibility,” he wrote.
Below are some of the reactions;
