Insecurity: Nigeria Not Under Siege, Only Experiencing Security Breaches — Presidency

The Presidency has maintained that Nigeria is not under siege despite ongoing security challenges in some parts of the country, insisting that incidents of violence and criminality are isolated and should not be used to portray the nation as unsafe.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, stated this while speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on Tuesday.

Onanuga argued that media reports on insecurity often create the impression that the entire country is engulfed by violence, whereas many parts of Nigeria remain peaceful and residents continue to travel freely without encountering security threats.

According to him, insecurity incidents are limited to specific locations and should be viewed as security breaches rather than evidence that the entire nation is under attack.

The presidential aide cited personal experiences and accounts from other Nigerians who regularly undertake long-distance journeys by road across different parts of the country.

He recalled travelling from Lagos to Oyo State to attend a burial ceremony and noted that the journey was completed without any security challenge.

Onanuga also referenced a recent conversation with the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), who informed him that he travelled by road from Abuja to Kebbi State without incident.

“I travelled from Lagos to Oyo to attend a burial ceremony. Don’t let people frighten you that the entire country is under siege. It’s not so. There are security breaches,” he said.

The presidential spokesman expressed concern about the way insecurity is sometimes reported, saying such reports can create unnecessary fear among citizens.

According to him, attacks and kidnappings often occur in specific locations and at particular times, especially during late-night hours.

“Any time I read about a kidnap or an attack somewhere, sometimes I look at the time. I say, wow, it happened around 8pm, 9pm, sometimes 1am,” he stated.

Onanuga recalled that security agencies had previously advised Nigerians to avoid travelling at night due to safety concerns.

While acknowledging the existence of security challenges in parts of the country, he maintained that the situation should not be interpreted as evidence that the entire nation is unsafe.

He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant while avoiding generalisations that portray the country as being completely overwhelmed by insecurity, stressing that efforts to improve security across affected areas remain ongoing.