President Bola Tinubu?s continued stay in France has drawn sharp criticism from opposition leaders and security experts amid a surge in violent attacks and killings across the country.

The 2023 presidential candidates, Atiku Abubakar of the People?s Democratic Party, Peter Obi of the Labour Party and other opposition parties urged the President to return immediately, citing recent massacres in Plateau and Benue States.

On April 2, 2025, the President departed for Paris, France, on a two-week working visit.

?During the visit, the President will appraise his administration?s mid-term performance and assess key milestones,? Tinubu?s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed in a statement.

However, the security situation in Plateau and Benue has worsened in his absence, with reports of violent attacks and killings of innocent citizens in different communities across the two states.

On April 2, at least 40 people were killed and more than 1,000 displaced in a brutal attack on Hurti, Josho, Daffo and other communities in the Manguna District of Bokkos Local Government Area, Plateau State.

The village head of Hurti, Mr. Maren Aradong, disclosed the figures when the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Samuel Jatau, led a government delegation on an assessment visit to the affected areas.

?In Hurti alone, these gunmen killed more than 40 people and displaced about 1,000 persons,? Aradong said. ?They also burnt 383 houses, destroyed foodstuffs, and looted other items.?

Though the police authorities deployed operatives and assets in the crisis area, this did not deter the assailants who ferociously attacked the Zike community, Kimakpa, Kwall district of Bassa Local Government Area on Monday, killing 51 persons.

A family of eight was among those murdered, with numerous properties set ablaze.

According to a Kwall community leader, Wakili Tongwe, the attackers invaded the village in the early hours of Monday and shot sporadically at residents.

Twenty-four hours later, a similar attack on the Otobi Akpa community in Benue State left at least 13 people dead, several others injured or missing, and over 50 houses destroyed.

The violence reportedly occurred near Otobi Junction when armed herdsmen launched an assault on the town around 6pm on Tuesday.

Speaking on the spiraling security crisis, former Vice President Atiku and Obi agreed that Nigeria is in dire need of true leadership, citing the recent killings as a compelling reason for the President to return home and address the bloodletting.

Atiku criticised Tinubu?s continued stay in France, describing it as a sign of irresponsibility on the part of the All Progressives Congress-led government.

Speaking through his media adviser, Paul Ibe, in an interview with The PUNCH on Wednesday, Atiku urged the President to return to Nigeria and tackle the rising insecurity.

He emphasised that the country needs a leader who is physically present and actively engaged, not one who governs from afar.

The former Vice President stated, ?Well, up till now, we still don?t have clarity. There?s no official explanation about why President Tinubu travelled. He claims it?s a working visit, but the question is: what kind of work is he doing? Does it include meetings with junior U.S. officials? I am not saying whatever work he?s doing in France is not important, but it is concerning that he couldn?t stay in Nigeria to carry it out. If the President wanted to rest, there are plenty of resorts within Nigeria.

?Yet, no clear reason has been given for his stay in France. Meanwhile, people believe resources are being wasted. We?re a nation deep in debt, yet spending irresponsibly. It?s unacceptable to waste borrowed funds?that?s a double burden on Nigerians.??

The former presidential candidate continued, ?Tinubu is away while Nigeria burns?daily killings, attacks, and loss of territories, especially in the Northeast. It?s a dire situation, yet the President remains abroad. This is becoming deeply troubling.

??All we get are press statements from afar, but that?s not leadership. Nigerians are yearning for real leadership?someone who?s present and actively engaged. Unfortunately, the President?s absence has left a leadership vacuum.

?Anyone saying the President can govern from anywhere is being dishonest. He needs to be physically present to lead. His continued absence is demoralising and leaves room for bad actors to exploit the situation.

?The truth is, this administration doesn?t seem to care. They?re indifferent to the daily loss of Nigerian lives. If the President truly cared, the events of the past two weeks alone would have been reason enough to cut short his trip and return home.?

Obi was equally dissatisfied with Tinubu?s remote response, while expressing growing concern about the safety of Nigerians.

He warned that the President?s prolonged stay overseas could worsen the already escalating security crisis in the country.

He said, ?I am compelled at this time in our lives as a nation to call on our retreating President?s attention to the security challenges at home, which entails that he immediately suspend his ongoing retreat in a foreign land and come home to address the overwhelming security situation across the country.

?In the two weeks you have been away, over 150 Nigerians have lost their lives to insecurity across Nigeria, especially in Plateau and Zamfara states. The repeated pipeline explosions in the Niger Delta further reflect a nation in distress.

?In the North-East, Borno State leaders are bemoaning the return of insurgency, with troops and civilians being killed randomly. In the Southeast, the story is the same: killings and abductions. Amid all these, the CEO of the troubled company called Nigeria, is retreating to a faraway land in France from the company?s headquarters.

?I, therefore, like to urge Mr President to quickly suspend whatever he is doing in France and rush home to take responsibility by addressing these disturbing issues. That is the new Nigeria that the nation seeks.?

In response, the All Progressives Congress Publicity Director, Bala Ibrahim, stated that Nigeria is not without leadership, emphasising that the President regrets the incidents and that steps are being taken to address the situation.

He asked the opposition parties and their leaders to be fair to the President, adding that he has instructed security agencies to take decisive action and tackle the nation?s security challenges.

He noted, ?I think they need to understand the meaning of ?vacuum.? If I understand the dictionary definition correctly, a vacuum is a space not occupied by anything. Is there currently a vacuum in the presidency? Is there a vacuum in the nation?s leadership?

?Simply because the President is out of the country does not mean he is not piloting the affairs of the nation from where he is. Moreover, in this age of digital communication, the President can lead, direct, and administer from any part of the world. How are they sure the President is not communicating with the National Security Adviser on an hourly basis?

??How are they sure he?s not in constant contact with the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Air Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff, the Inspector General of Police, and others? Are they monitoring his conversations?

?You cannot say that a country where the Vice President is actively representing the President is in a vacuum. Just today, the Vice President was at an event in the office of the National Security Adviser, discussing how to address national issues and disasters. A country with that level of leadership engagement is not leaderless.

?I think they all need to be fair. Many of them have held executive positions before. Atiku Abubakar was a Vice President, Peter Obi was a governor. (Rabiu) Kwankwaso was a governor and minister. They know how government functions. Even when the President is in the country, he may not physically be present at the epicentre of a crisis. He leads from wherever he is?and I believe he?s doing so now. So, they should be fair in their use of the word ?vacuum? and apply it correctly.

?It is an unfortunate and deeply saddening situation. But remember, the President had already issued a directive to the service chiefs. The Minister of Defence publicly stated that the President is extremely concerned about the country?s security and has instructed all security agencies to do everything possible to address these challenges.

?We are not yet at the middle of the year, and sadly, we are seeing a resurgence of bloodshed in Benue, Plateau, and other areas. It?s tragic. The government is aware, regrets the situation, and is taking it seriously. Action is being taken to ensure there is no recurrence.?

However, the PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, admonished Tinubu to return to the country and fulfill the responsibilities for which he was elected.

He described the President?s prolonged absence as a sign of irresponsibility.

He said, ?Well, I know that the President, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has grown a very thin skin to criticism and an alternate sense of reasoning as to how best to govern a country like Nigeria. But the truth is this: his continuous silence and his continuous absence in the midst of this bloodbath and killing sprees in the country smacks not only of irresponsibility and incompetence, it also borders on insensitivity towards the plight of the population.

?You see, a responsible President or a responsible government would have reviewed and rearranged his security architecture in such a way and manner as to reflect pragmatic solution-making and how best to temper the tide of these killings and bloodbaths.??

Arguing that age might have caught up with Tinubu, he observed that those around him are probably shielding him from reality.

?The truth is that the blood of every Nigerian, whether in the Benue Valley, the Plateau State, or the riverine areas of the Niger Delta, is priceless and sacrosanct. The President should leave the jamboree. I know it?s a medical matter because there?s nothing anyone can say about it.

??If he knows his health can?t carry this responsibility, he should excuse himself?but he should not allow it to hinder the work. Either come back home and rest, or go to his family and rest, and allow Nigeria to thrive. He has a competent Vice President he can hand over power to,? he shared.

Osadolor challenged the President to hold his service chiefs accountable, noting that they would have been sacked for incompetence in other countries.

The LP National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, emphasised that responsibility lies with President Tinubu but acknowledged that he can?t be everywhere or handle everything alone.

Ifoh urged those assigned to oversee security to rise to the occasion and safeguard Nigerians.

?We would prefer not to say much about the government?s security apparatus or specific details, because we are sure the President does not support the killings happening across the country.

?However, there are people whose responsibility it is to ensure there is peace and order nationwide. Even though the buck stops at the President?s desk, there are individuals he appointed. These individuals should be doing more to secure the peace and safety of Nigerians.

?If they need assistance, it?s up to them to speak up. But security matters are not typically discussed in the media. I am confident that every president in the world desires the safety and security of their nation. I believe the Nigerian President must have given such instructions to the security chiefs. But if they are not delivering results, it?s the President?s responsibility to act, because, as I said, the buck stops with him,? he added.

The New Nigeria Peoples Party National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, expressed concern that Nigerians feel abandoned, accusing Tinubu of showing little concern for the people.

The party also called on the Nigerian leader to return home and demonstrate concern for the people, acknowledging that he may not have instant solutions to the problems.

Johnson noted that many Nigerians are on the verge of losing hope, saying, ??Aside from asking President Tinubu to return to the country now, my party even goes further. We are almost at the stage where we have seen enough to understand that Mr. President doesn?t care much for the masses of the country.

?He has failed to attend to the raging inflation, the insecurity, and the daily pressures that Nigerians are facing. Whilst we realise that there is no magic wand to sort out some of these problems?which, by the way, his administration created, especially the economic ones, his policies created rather?we would have expected that he would show more concern, and at a time like this, he abscond and they say that he is on a working visit to France; working visit for who?

?We are almost giving up, he should come back. We know that he probably doesn?t care for the people.?

The Northern Elders Forum also criticised the Federal Government, describing the killings in Plateau State as evidence of its failure.

In a statement on Wednesday by its spokesperson, Prof. Abubakar Jiddere, the forum labelled the repeated violence in the state a ?national disgrace.?

NEF stated, ?What was once a symbol of unity, peace, and cultural diversity in Nigeria has now become a theatre of bloodshed and lawlessness.

?The magnitude of violence being inflicted on innocent citizens is nothing short of a national disgrace, and a damning indictment of the Federal Government?s failure to discharge its primary duty protecting lives and property??.

?It is unacceptable that such acts of mass murder and destruction continue unabated, with little to no meaningful response from those charged with safeguarding the nation.

?The silence and inaction of the Federal Government can no longer be tolerated. NEF demands the immediate and massive deployment of well-equipped security forces to Plateau State to halt these atrocities and restore order,? the statement said.

The forum said the government must not only arrest and try the culprits, but must act quickly and decisively in doing so.

?The blood of innocent Nigerians cries out for justice, and there must be no sanctuary for those who orchestrate or enable these horrors,? the NEF said.

It further called on the government to compensate the victims and affected communities in Plateau State, while calling for the setting up of an independent investigative panel to unravel the cause of the bloodshed to prevent further loss of lives and property.

A public affairs analyst and security expert, Jackson Ojo, described the situation as dire and criticised the government?s reactive approach to handling insecurity.

According to him, various parts of the North, including the North-West, North-Central, and North-East, are under threat, particularly from renewed activities by ISWAP insurgents.

?Our security is overwhelmed. We are not fighting aggressively enough. There is a difference between defensive and offensive attacks. We keep reacting after the fact instead of taking the fight to the source. It is unacceptable that terrorists attack our communities, kill dozens, and we fail to neutralise even a single attacker,? Ojo lamented.

The security expert also expressed frustration over the lack of results despite the heavy ransom payments reportedly made by families of kidnap victims, describing the situation as suspicious.

?They kidnapped and collected millions, yet the perpetrators appear poorly fed and disorganised. This suggests they are working for others behind the scenes. The government must ensure that security is not politicised,? he warned.

Should the government fail to restore public confidence, he said the citizens could resort to self-help and mob justice, which could lead to further instability.

Another security expert, Oladele Fajana, echoed similar concerns and called for urgent action.

Fajana questioned the effectiveness of the security forces, stating that the recent attacks in Plateau State occurred alarmingly close to a military checkpoint.

?How can a high-volume gun attack happen near a security post, and there was no response? It raises serious questions,? he observed. (The PUNCH)

Update news