The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned the killing of about 170 people in Kwara State, describing the incident as evidence of a total breakdown of security under the Federal Government led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a statement issued to Naija News on Friday and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party questioned the effectiveness of the President’s declaration of a state of emergency on security and the promised recruitment of thousands of police officers.
According to the ADC, the continued mass killings across the country suggest that the measures announced by the Federal Government were either ineffective or merely rhetorical.
The party also queried whether the heightened security activities witnessed last year, following comments by the President of the United States on Nigeria’s insecurity, were more about gaining international approval than addressing the country’s internal security challenges.
The ADC said the scale and frequency of killings nationwide show that whatever steps the government claims to have taken are not working, adding that the current approach is only redistributing terror rather than eliminating it.
“The African Democratic Congress condemns in the strongest possible terms the recent gruesome killing of about 170 innocent Nigerians in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State,” the statement read. “This horrific massacre is one of the worst atrocities recorded in recent times and stands as a painful reminder of the complete collapse of security across the country.”
The party extended its condolences to the families of the victims and the people of Kwara State, noting that communities continue to be left vulnerable in a country struggling to protect its citizens.
The ADC also raised concerns that the attackers may be terrorist elements recently dispersed by United States Christmas Day military action in Sokoto State, who are now relocating to other states due to weak internal security coordination.
It argued that large-scale killings in areas previously considered safe indicate that the Tinubu administration is not winning the fight against terrorism.
“Whatever the government is doing is not defeating terrorism; it is merely redistributing it,” the party said.
The ADC pointed to incidents ranging from mass abductions in Kaduna State to mass killings in Kwara State as signs of deep structural failures in Nigeria’s internal security system, identifying intelligence gathering, border control, inter-agency collaboration and emergency response as major weak points.
It urged Nigerians to reflect on the state of emergency on security declared in November 2025 and the announced large-scale recruitment into the Nigeria Police Force.
“Tens of thousands of personnel were reportedly approved for recruitment. Nigerians deserve to know what has become of that promise. Have the recruits been employed, trained and deployed, or has the exercise quietly stalled?” the statement asked.
The party further criticised what it described as performative security actions displayed last year after comments by the U.S. President, saying the urgency shown at the time has since faded.
According to the ADC, Nigeria’s security crisis has gone beyond the competence of the Tinubu-led administration, with killings becoming routine and government responses limited to condolences after each tragedy.
“The African Democratic Congress therefore calls on the Federal Government to be honest with Nigerians about the true state of national security, account for the promised security recruitment, and clearly explain how it intends to stop the spread and relocation of terrorist groups across states,” the statement added.
“Lives are not statistics, and governance is not public relations.”