President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media, Daniel Bwala, on July 30, 2025, defended the administration’s security record, asserting that Tinubu has fulfilled his 2023 campaign promise to protect Nigerians.
Speaking on a national television program, Bwala highlighted a 15% reduction in insurgency-related deaths in the Northeast, with 150 fatalities in 2025 compared to 180 in 2023, based on Army Headquarters data. He credited the deployment of 20,000 additional troops and a $500 million equipment upgrade, including drones, as evidence of progress.
However, this narrative clashes with reports of 200 kidnappings in July and a 30% increase in banditry in the Northwest, per the International Crisis Group. Bwala dismissed these as “isolated incidents,” arguing that security is improving incrementally.
Critics, including the ADC, counter that public perception remains negative, with 70% of Nigerians feeling unsafe, according to a 2025 Afrobarometer survey. The narrative of fulfilled promises is optimistic, but its credibility depends on addressing persistent violence and public trust, which remain elusive.