The President went on to say that Nigerians no longer had to worry about being attacked when driving from the nation’s capital, Abuja, to any location in the nation.

Nigerian security has increased under President Bola Tinubu’s direction, he has boasted.

At the first international lecture hosted by the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja, Tinubu—who was accompanied by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu—described how the security situation in the nation deteriorated during Muhammadu Buhari’s presidency in 2022 and 2023.

The President went on to say that Nigerians no longer had to worry about being attacked when driving from the nation’s capital, Abuja, to any location in the nation.

“We have not been talking, we have been working,” he stated. We work and we don’t work. And we are headed in the right direction, I promise. Nigeria is beginning to stabilise. You’ll see it, and you’ll feel it. Give us some time.

This serves as a subtle reminder to those of us who are, to remember Nigeria in 2022. Terrorists and criminals would target and murder our soldiers here in Abuja.

Just from 2022 to 2023, inmates in Nigeria will be attacked and the most dangerous people would be taken out of custody. They would launch an assault on a train, capturing hundreds of abducted victims.

“2022 Nigeria looks like that. We arrived, and I can guarantee that Abuja is safe. It is possible to drive at night today and travel to Kaduna, Lokoja, and Minna. It will take you one year and four months to feel safe if you travel to Lafia. You are free to travel wherever in Nigeria in 2022, but you dared not.

In the meantime, 7,568 persons were kidnapped in Nigeria between July 2023 and July 2024, according to a recent report from SBM Intelligence.

The security situation, according to the report, has grown more complicated as armed groups and non-state actors take advantage of the state’s diminished power.

A few of the problems mentioned were the emergence of Boko Haram in the Northeast, armed gangs in the North Central and Northwest, violent secessionist movements in the Southeast, and gang-related problems in the Southwest.

A common thread among these various security issues has been the rampant kidnapping for ransom. According to the paper, “Our research revealed that a minimum of 7,568 individuals were kidnapped in 1,130 incidents nationwide between July 2023 and June 2024.”

“During the same time frame, kidnappers sought a minimum ransom of N10,995,090,000 (about $6,871,931), but they only got N1,048,110,000—just 9.5% of what they had asked. This suggests that kidnappers are becoming less common in their victim selection.

“Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina have the highest numbers of occurrences and victims out of the 1,130 reported kidnapping cases.”

According to the research, Zamfara had the highest occurrence rate, with 1,639 victims over 132 cases.

“It states that 132 incidents with 1,639 victims were reported in Zamfara, 113 incidents with 1,113 victims in Kaduna, and 119 incidents with 887 victims in Katsina.”

“The greatest number of civilian fatalities is also seen in these three states. Kidnapping has been more deadly in the year this research reviews; 1,056 persons lost their lives in 1,130 recorded cases. Every time a kidnapping attempt is made, someone is usually killed.