Nigerian Leaders Criticized as Violence Surges amid Insecurity

The Nigerian government is facing severe criticism from former presidential candidate and prominent member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, who has condemned its inability to protect citizens amid a troubling increase in violence across the nation. In an interview with ARISE News on March 15, 2024, Olawepo-Hashim highlighted what he termed an alarming escalation of killings and kidnappings in Nigeria.

Olawepo-Hashim emphasized that while many Nigerians are generally opposed to foreign intervention, the core issue lies in the government’s failure to provide security and accountability. He stated, “Ordinarily, Nigerians don’t like foreign intervention. But the major point we must not lose sight of is that this is about killings in staggering numbers in the country and failure of leadership to offer protection for the people — whether they are Muslims, Christians or animists.”

According to statistics from the Federal Office of Statistics, the first half of 2025 witnessed a doubling of killings linked to kidnappings and violence compared to all of 2024. A report from Amnesty International further underscores the severity of the situation, revealing that over 10,215 people have been killed in Nigeria over the past two years, with approximately 80% of these deaths occurring in Plateau and Benue states.

Olawepo-Hashim criticized the federal government’s diplomatic response to recent tensions, particularly following comments from former U.S. President Donald Trump regarding religious killings in Nigeria. He lamented that Nigeria’s foreign policy structures have deteriorated under the current administration of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“What shocks me is not Trump’s statement but the Nigerian government’s response. There were hearings in the U.S. Senate on these issues for years, yet Nigeria didn’t even have a functioning ambassador in the United States,” he noted. The former presidential candidate argued that the administration’s “reckless and incoherent” foreign policy has diminished Nigeria’s standing on the international stage.

Olawepo-Hashim asserted that Nigeria once served as a stabilizing force in West Africa, but he believes that the current government has failed to maintain effective diplomatic relations with neighboring countries. He stated, “Even the joint commissions with neighbouring countries like Niger have been paralysed for nearly a decade.”

He expressed concern that insecurity persists due to entrenched interests benefiting from the ongoing instability. “There are many members of the political elite on various sides profiting from the instability. People are selling solid minerals in northern states without paying a dime to the federal government,” he alleged, suggesting that there are connections between political factions and criminal enterprises.

To address the escalating violence, Olawepo-Hashim called for urgent action, urging the government to confront its security and governance failures directly. “Somebody has to stop this mess right now. People are dying in their thousands. If Trump’s threat gives us the occasion to face this reality beyond rhetoric and politics, so be it,” he asserted.

Reiterating his commitment to ending the violence, he distanced himself from political opportunism, stating, “I am not a regular politician. I’m from the North-Central, where 80% of the victims come from. What is important to me is how to stop the killings right now, not next year.”

Olawepo-Hashim concluded by urging the government to restore institutional diplomatic frameworks and pursue genuine defense partnerships within Africa. He underscored the need for decisive action to address what he described as “a tragedy that has gone on for far too long.”