Ex-US diplomat criticizes Tinubu’s govt over bandits incursion claims

A former United States Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Tibor Nagy, has voiced his concerns about Nigeria’s security under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Nagy’s comments came after reports from a Niger State House of Assembly lawmaker claiming that bandits had seized the Nigerian Army training camp in Kontagora, sparking worries about the nation’s worsening security landscape.

In a tweet on Wednesday, Nagy remarked, “Only in Nigeria — can bandits take over the nation’s largest military training facility.” He added, “Anywhere else in the world this would be obviously ‘fake news,’ but in Nigeria even the most absurd and outrageous is possible. When will the nation get a decent Government?”

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The Nigerian Defence Headquarters (DHQ) had previously refuted the claims of bandits taking over a military training camp.

Maj Gen Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, responded, stating that “no inch of the training area has been ceded to the terrorist,” and described Hon. Abdullahi Isah of Kontagora II’s allegations as “incorrect and inaccurate with realities on the ground.”

He emphasized the military’s dedication to retaining control of the area.

Buba also acknowledged encounters with terrorists in the vicinity and reiterated that current military efforts focus on neutralizing these threats. “Our troops are not relenting at [ensuring the] total destruction of these terrorists wherever they may be hiding,” he affirmed.

Additionally, the Defence Headquarters highlighted its partnership with the Niger State Government to bolster security, following reports from Isah that bandits had set up camps in the Nagwamase Military Cantonment, displacing around 23 communities and raising serious safety concerns.