President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has cancelled his scheduled trips to South Africa and Angola following widespread public outrage over worsening insecurity in the country.
There have been calls for President Tinubu to resign following recent issues including the kidnapping of 25 schoolchildren in Kebbi and the church attack in Kwara State.
The President was billed to depart Abuja today for the G20 Summit in Johannesburg and later proceed to Luanda for the AU-EU Summit, but a State House statement said he suspended the foreign visits as he awaits further security briefings.
This follows a wave of condemnation from celebrities, public figures and citizens who accused the government of failing to protect Nigerians.
Others pondered on the need to take trips out of the country during tensioned times which also recently saw the execution of a Brigadier general in the line of duty.
According to the statement signed by the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu was “disturbed by the security breaches in Kebbi State and Tuesday’s attack by bandits against worshippers at Christ Apostolic Church, Eruku.”
He added that the President has ordered an immediate strengthening of security in Kwara.
“In response to the request by the governor of Kwara State, President Tinubu has ordered the deployment of more security men to Eruku and the entire Ekiti Local Government Area of the state,” Onanuga said.
He further noted that the President directed the police “to go after the bandits who attacked worshippers.”
Videos of terrified worshippers fleeing gunfire in a Kwara church drew nationwide outrage, intensifying pressure on the presidency.
Tinubu is now awaiting reports from Vice President Kashim Shettima, who visited Kebbi on his behalf, as well as security briefings from the police and the Department of State Services.
Reaffirming his instructions to rescue those abducted, the statement added: “The security agencies must do everything possible to rescue the 24 schoolgirls abducted by the bandits and bring the girls back home, safe.”
