Daniel Bwala insists Nigerians safer under Tinubu administration

Daniel Bwala insists Nigerians safer under Tinubu administration

Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser on Policy Communication to President Bola Tinubu, has claimed that Nigerians are safer under the current administration than they were before 2023. During an appearance on Sunday Politics on Channels Television, Bwala said that many forms of insecurity that were common before Tinubu took office—such as prison breaks and kidnappings in broad daylight—have largely ceased. He said Nigerians are “superlatively safer today than they were” under the previous leadership.

Bwala acknowledged that incidents of insecurity still occur, but described them as “skirmishes” rather than systemic breakdowns. He argued that compared to before 2023, when some citizens believed they could not leave their homes safely, the situation has improved. He pointed out that people are now generally able to go about their businesses across the country without the same level of fear.

He went further to compare Nigeria’s crime rate with that of developed countries, saying that despite its challenges, Nigeria’s daily crime incidents are often exaggerated and that some crimes in the United States surpass what happens here in a single day. He used that comparison to underline his view that perceptions of insecurity in Nigeria may be overstated in some reports.

The aide also addressed accusations from U.S. lawmakers who alleged that the Nigerian government is complicit in “Christian genocide.” Bwala dismissed those claims, saying they are politically motivated and stem from a local civil society report with ties to a proscribed group. He insisted that insecurity does not target any religion.

Critics of Bwala’s claims say that many Nigerians do not share the sense of safety he describes. They point to ongoing incidents of banditry, kidnapping, and communal violence, especially in rural and northern areas. Some argue that while there may have been improvements in certain zones or in media visibility of crises, many communities still face severe security threats.