By Ikeddy ISIGUZO
SHAMEFUL. Horrid. Terrific. Humiliating to our troops. Unbelievable. The list goes on as we search for words to adequately describe the deeply troubling policies of the Tinubu administration in its fight against terrorists who are shrinking Nigeria’s territory, killing Nigerians – our troops and their commanders alike.
Nigerians are genuinely mourning the loss of our troops and officers in the latest attacks in the North-East, where terrorists are now overrunning areas with alarming ease due to inconsistent policies emanating from Abuja. Families are barely beginning to cope with their losses when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu chose to highlight the deradicalisation programme for terrorists, which recently ‘graduated’ 744 former combatants. What was the urgency in showcasing to the world that the government appeared to be aligning itself with those who have contributed to the deaths of our troops and civilians across Nigeria?
The Commander-in-Chief seems to be counting this deradicalisation programme – which has achieved little in the past ten years – as a major success, as there is little else to point to in his three years in office that demonstrates an improvement in Nigeria’s security. Is celebrating those who have waged war against us appropriate when the nation is in mourning? The disgraceful event was held in Gombe, just 346km from Maiduguri, a city steeped in grief over officers and troops buried just 24 hours earlier at Maimalari Cantonment Cemetery “with full military honours”.
What was the rationale behind honouring these “former terrorists”? A statement from the military reminded us that, “As the nation mourns these heroes, it is reminded that the freedom and stability enjoyed today come at a profound cost, paid by brave men who placed duty above self and gave everything in service to their fatherland.”
The kidnapping and killing of our people have been relegated to insignificance by the decisions of the Tinubu administration, effectively downgrading the constitutional provision that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government” to a situation where the lack of concern for the people seems to be the priority. Officers and troops who fall in battle are no longer being properly honoured.
Why were our national heroes not buried at the National Military Cemetery in Abuja, the premier resting place for military personnel? It holds the graves of high-ranking officials and officers killed in action, serving as a monument to those who died in service. Would their killers in the North-East have felt provoked by a national burial for our troops and officers, with their names engraved in the memorial built in 2016 to celebrate their sacrifice to Nigeria?
The burial of 17 soldiers killed in Okuama on 14 March 2024 (including Lt. Col. A.H. Ali), along with four officers and thirteen soldiers who died on a peace mission, was the last time soldiers who died “in action” were buried at the National Military Cemetery, Abuja. President Tinubu, as Commander-in-Chief, attended that ceremony. He has now become so focused on non-kinetic approaches that he will not honour his fallen officers and troops, but instead prioritises a ceremony to announce the release of 744 “former terrorists” back into society.
And there is no commensurate rehabilitation for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), who are enduring various forms of dehumanisation. Their plight remains largely unaddressed –
Lost ancestral homes and land, the loss of which is so profound it defies expression, are dismissed. IDPs in Benue, Plateau, Southern Kaduna, and indeed other parts of the country, were forcibly uprooted from their homes, losing their properties, farmlands, and ancestral lands. This has destroyed their economic base and cultural identity. In some cases, the situation is even worse – their lands have been seized by terrorists who have renamed them and altered their landscape, effectively wiping their homelands off the map.
Loss of livelihood: The crisis has deprived many IDPs, particularly farmers, of their means of survival. There is no land to cultivate, and few skills to secure employment.
Food insecurity and hunger: Attacks and terrorism across Nigeria have led to acute food shortages and malnutrition, especially among children and pregnant women in IDP camps. The trauma of suffering from hunger, after previously being self-sufficient, has reduced many IDPs to a desperate state. How can adults be forced to beg for survival daily?
Poor living conditions: Recurring attacks have led to overcrowding, inadequate shelter, lack of clean water, and poor sanitation in IDP camps. Who cares for the displaced once they reach these camps?
Health challenges and limited access to care: IDPs suffer from preventable diseases such as chickenpox, malaria, and cholera due to poor hygiene. The inadequate sanitary conditions are a result of the camps being designed as temporary facilities, but they have become permanent.
Psychological trauma and emotional distress: IDPs who have witnessed violence, lost loved ones, and endure hardship in camps suffer from depression, anxiety, and long-term mental health issues. They receive no treatment for this trauma.
Disruption of education: The crisis has severely disrupted the education of IDPs. What future awaits the young ones?
Insecurity and vulnerability: IDP camps lack adequate security and are sometimes targeted by further attacks.
Loss of dignity and social identity: Displaced persons are stripped of their social dignity and denied the rights that other Nigerians take for granted.
Dependency syndrome: Prolonged reliance on humanitarian assistance can erode self-reliance and initiative, trapping IDPs in cycles of poverty, family separation, lack of government support, and an uncertain future.
While IDPs are treated as if they are the terrorists, their attackers are rehabilitated and equipped with skills to rebuild their lives. IDPs are left to a life of indeterminate misery and uncertain hope. Their attackers, the terrorists who have devastated their lives and killed their relatives, are rewarded with a better future, at a Tinubu ceremony celebrating this ‘achievement’ of ‘peace’ without justice – a ceremony that effectively proclaims that terrorism pays.
All hail Tinubu, the great Commander-in-Chief, as you ponder on whose side he stands in the battle to make Nigeria secure and safe once more.
Finally…
ALHAJI Ibrahim Galadima, 78, former Chairman of the Nigeria Football Association, passed away on Saturday 18 April 2026. Many tributes acknowledged his integrity. May he rest in peace.
BAYO Onanuga is funded by public money to speak for President Tinubu, but he is more often heard speaking for the reticent Alhaji Nafiu Bala Gombe, whom the APC has found to be a convenient distraction from ADC (Africa Democratic Congress). Tinubu is so apprehensive about the 2027 election that he avoids national issues that could draw attention to him. Onanuga, while still a presidential aide, has aligned himself with Alhaji Gombe, at public expense. The APC continues to demonstrate innovation in disregarding even the simplest protocols and laws.
ISIGUZO is a commentator on minor issues.
(“horrid,” “terrific”
