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| Nigeria’s intervention in Benin Republic reignites debate over the government’s slow response to insecurity at home. |
When news broke that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered Nigerian fighter jets and ground troops into Benin Republic to stop a coup attempt, the reaction among Nigerians was immediate and emotional. Many questioned why their government could move so swiftly for a neighbouring country while citizens at home continue to face kidnappers, terrorists and bandits on a daily basis.
The frustration is not about helping Benin Republic; it is about the painful contrast. Communities across Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara, Niger, Plateau and parts of Abuja still suffer repeated attacks without the same urgency, speed or coordination.
This fact-check examines the truth behind Nigerians’ outrage, the realities of insecurity at home, and why the government’s actions are being heavily scrutinized.
1. Nigerians Are Facing Violent Insecurity Every Day — This Is Undeniably True
Across the North and Middle Belt, families live under constant threat. Schoolchildren are abducted, farmers are attacked on their land, villages are burned, and highways are controlled by armed men. These incidents are not exaggerations; they are documented tragedies happening almost weekly.
For many Nigerians, the sense of fear has become normal. Travelling between states is considered a risk. Parents pray every morning that their children will return safely from school. Communities mourn so frequently that condolence visits have become routine.
The truth is simple: Nigerians are suffering, and the danger has not reduced in any meaningful way.
2. Is the Government Doing Nothing? Not Completely — But the Effort Falls Short
The government often highlights various operations: airstrikes on bandit camps, arrests of suspects, parading of kidnappers, formation of state vigilantes and security meetings. These efforts exist, but Nigerians judge results, not press statements.
If attacks continue, if kidnappers strike boldly, and if bandits operate freely on highways, then whatever is being done is either insufficient, poorly executed or deliberately undermined by corruption and weak intelligence.
The gap between government claims and public reality continues to widen.
3. Why Nigeria Responded Quickly to Benin Republic
Stopping a coup is a clear and direct military operation: the target is known, the location is identifiable and the enemy is concentrated in specific buildings. Once Benin requested assistance, Nigeria could act swiftly with jets and ground troops.
Domestic insecurity is different. Criminals are scattered across forests, hidden in multiple states, and blend with communities. There is no single target to strike. Poor intelligence, limited equipment, bureaucracy and corruption worsen the situation.
This explains the difference in response time — but it does not comfort Nigerians who feel unprotected in their own country.
4. Why Nigerians Feel Betrayed
The anger comes from a deep sense of abandonment. Nigerians see a government that can mobilize instantly for international diplomacy but struggles to protect ordinary citizens from daily violence.
People ask bitter questions: Why can jets fly to Benin within hours, but bandits terrorize rural communities for years? Why do kidnappers operate checkpoints, yet citizens cannot travel from Kaduna to Abuja without fear? Why are successes abroad celebrated while victims at home barely receive acknowledgement?
It is not hatred for the government — it is heartbreak. Nigerians want their lives to matter as much as foreign alliances.
5. Final Verdict
Yes, the government has failed in its core duty to protect Nigerians. The frequency of killings and kidnappings proves this.
Yes, the government is not entirely inactive. Operations exist, but results are weak and inconsistent.
Yes, the Benin intervention exposes a troubling contrast. It highlights the government’s ability to act decisively — but apparently not for its own citizens.
Conclusion
Nigerians are not angry because their government helped Benin Republic. They are angry because the same urgency is not applied to protecting Nigerians at home. The swiftness shown in Benin demonstrates that the Nigerian state has the capacity — but lacks the will — to act decisively for its people.
Until the government fights for Nigerians with the same speed it fights for diplomacy abroad, the sense of abandonment will persist. This anger is not political. It is the cry of a people who want their lives to matter.
By TMI News Desk
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