In President Bola Tinubu’s first month in office, at least 237 people were killed in a variety of assaults across the nation.
This is supported by a Peoples Gazette summary of the killings committed by Boko Haram, bandits, and gunmen over the previous 30 days since Mr. Tinubu took office as president.
It also demonstrates that under the direction of Mr. Tinubu, Nigeria’s new commander in chief, who took an oath to defend the lives and property of residents, at least eight people were slain every day on average.
According to The Gazette, Mr. Tinubu’s first week in office was ruined by a killing spree that claimed at least 80 lives in Benue, Zamfara, and Sokoto.
Days later, Amnesty International lamented killings across the country, estimating the number of citizens killed across the country to be about 120.
However, Mr Tinubu’s party, the All Progressives Congress, dismissed Amnesty International’s outcry as “hypocritical,” asking the human rights institution to cut the new government slack.
With Boko Haram, bandits and gunmen intensifying their nefarious activities across the country, reported cases of killings increased by 117 as of June 29, bringing the number of deaths to 237.
In separate attacks across communities, 45 people were killed in Niger and Plateau on June 10 and 13, while another 33 were killed in separate attacks in Borno and Plateau between June 16, 17 and 18. In Kaduna on June 18, five persons, including a local chief, were killed.
On June 21 and 22, 20 persons were killed in Plateau communities. On June 23, Boko Haram terrorists killed eight farmers in Borno, while three miners were killed in Plateau State. On the same day, three farmers were killed in Kaduna.
Within the period under review, the Nigerian military said it foiled some attacks and freed some kidnapped citizens, killing Boko Haram insurgents and bandits in Borno, Kaduna, and Zamfara.
Silence of the graveyard
In his inaugural speech on May 29, Mr Tinubu promised to tackle the deterioration of insecurity, reforming Nigeria’s “security doctrine and its architecture.”
He has sacked the service chiefs and appointed new ones. However, Mr Tinubu has maintained radio silence over several killings under his watch since he assumed office.
Though Mr Tinubu was quick to mourn the dead in India’s catastrophic train crash barely 24 hours after the incident, he has not even a word for his unfortunate compatriots slaughtered by Boko Haram and bandits.
His media aide Dele Alake did not respond to requests for comments from The Gazette per Mr Tinubu’s failure to publicly commiserate with beleaguered Nigerians despite sending condolences to India.
