Obidient Movement Declares National Emergency, Says Tinubu Has Failed on Security

The Obidient Movement has issued a strongly worded State of the Nation address marking two and a half years of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, decrying what it describes as an escalating collapse of security across the country. 

In a detailed assessment signed by Dr. Yunusa Tanko, the Movement accused the government of presiding over a period marked by unprecedented violence, mass displacement, and a steady rise in terrorist and criminal activities.

In the statement, the Movement argued that the administration’s promised “renewed hope” has instead turned into widespread despair as Nigerians confront daily threats from insurgents, bandits, kidnappers, and armed militias. The address paints a portrait of a nation engulfed by insecurity, asserting that the scale of violence documented between May 2023 and November 2025 reflects a severe failure of leadership and strategic coordination at the highest levels.

The Obidient Movement highlighted the deteriorating situation in the Northeast, where both Boko Haram and ISWAP have intensified operations over the past two years. According to the Movement, coordinated attacks involving suicide bombings, ambushes, village invasions, and territorial takeovers have surged, leaving thousands dead and entire communities displaced. It referenced several deadly incidents, including the Konduga market suicide bombing, the Darul Jamal and Mafa massacres, and the attack on Ngala town that forced thousands to flee. The Movement cited independent reports indicating that more people were killed by insurgents and bandits in the first half of 2025 than in all of 2024.

The situation in the Northwest was described as even more alarming. The Movement argued that the region has become dominated by heavily armed bandit groups engaging in mass abductions, killings, and extortion. 

The statement pointed to millions of kidnapping incidents recorded between 2023 and 2024, and noted that the frequency of armed attacks has more than doubled in recent years. According to the address, villages across Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Niger States have suffered relentless raids, with communities uprooted and local economies crippled. The killings of hostages even after ransom payments and the abductions of hundreds of civilians were cited as evidence that the crisis has grown beyond the government’s control.

The Movement also lamented the unending cycle of herder-farmer violence in the North Central region, describing it as a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding under the government’s watch. It cited major attacks in Benue and Plateau States, including the 2023 Christmas massacres and successive waves of killings in Mangu and Benue communities. According to the Movement, these conflicts have taken on increasingly ethno-religious dimensions, destroying farmlands, displacing millions, and worsening food shortages across the country.

Summarizing available data from human rights groups, international observers, and independent monitors, the Obidient Movement alleged that more than six hundred thousand Nigerians were killed between May 2023 and April 2024 through various forms of violent conflict. It further noted that thousands more have been killed or kidnapped in 2025 alone, making the period one of the deadliest in Nigeria’s recent security history.

The Movement underscored the urgency of the crisis by referencing fresh attacks that occurred while the address was being prepared. It reported the abduction of at least fifty-two students and staff during a raid at St. Mary’s Private Catholic Secondary School in Papiri, Niger State, in the early hours of the morning. It also noted that most of the schoolgirls kidnapped in Maga, Kebbi State, on November 17 remained in captivity. The Movement warned that schools in the northern regions have become primary targets for terrorists and bandits, leaving parents afraid to send their children to class.

In its concluding remarks, the Obidient Movement declared that the worsening insecurity signals a national emergency that demands immediate action. It called for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s security architecture, including reforms in intelligence operations, improved coordination among security agencies, and strengthened community-based protection systems. The statement also urged the National Assembly to hold the Executive accountable and challenged labour unions, including the NUT, ASUU, NLC, and TUC, to speak out against the rampant violence and demand decisive intervention.

The Movement emphasized that selective justice and ethnic bias must end if Nigeria is to regain stability and public trust. It reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing a secure and united Nigeria grounded in accountability, fairness, and the protection of human life. Pointing to the governance and security principles championed by former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, the Movement asserted that a new approach rooted in transparency and people-centered leadership offers the best hope for restoring national peace.

The statement concluded with a pledge that the Obidient Movement will continue to advocate relentlessly until every abducted child is rescued, every community is secured, and every Nigerian can live without fear. 

It was signed by Dr. Yunusa Tanko with the closing declaration: “A New Nigeria is POssible.”