By Uche Aguoru

Nigeria is once again confronted with a troubling resurgence of terrorism, banditry, and coordinated attacks across several states. The escalation, which curiously intensified after former U.S. President Donald Trump listed Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” mirrors the dark shadows of 2014–2015 events that culminated in the ouster of President Goodluck Jonathan and ushered in Muhammadu Buhari, a man who could not even account for his own cattle, let alone manage the complexities of Africa’s largest economy.

Say what you will about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, hate him, criticize his politics, question his style but branding him a religious bigot or a supporter of violence is untrue, dishonest and unfair.

Tinubu’s political history has never reflected religious extremism, and those pushing such narratives are doing so purely for political reasons.

What is clear today is that many of Buhari’s former foot soldiers and political allies, now displaced from power and influence, have forged unholy alliances with the opposition in a bid to launch themselves back to power.

Their goal is to weaken Tinubu ahead of 2027 and force a replay of the 2015 conspiracy script.

The patterns are too familiar not to be recognized, Let the barboon and the hyena soak in blood, the abduction of school children, attacks in communities mostly those along the agricultural belt, the sudden spike in insurgency, the targeted destabilisation of strategic states, attacks on churches, and the coordinated propaganda campaigns all point to vested interests attempting to weaponize insecurity for political gain.

Intelligence reports continue to link a significant portion of these attackers to foreign fighters infiltrating from the Sahel region elements allegedly funded and deployed by external interests to create chaos and undermine national stability.

What Nigeria faces today is no longer mere banditry, nor is it just herders farmers clashes or isolated jihadist activity. This is a political and geopolitical violence project, designed to weaken the state, discredit the government, and prepare the ground for electoral manipulation.

To Tinubu’s credit, his administration has taken more concrete steps against insecurity in 2 years than the Buhari’s government did in 8 years.

Under President Tinubu the military had neutralised and arrested hundreds of terrorists, and the activities of Fulani herdsmen has been largely degraded, but the truth remains: these gains are insufficient, and the scale of the threat now demands a bolder, more decisive response.

President Tinubu must therefore move beyond reactive security measures and declare a full-scale war on terrorism.

He must declare a state of emergency in the worst-hit states deploy more troops, technology, drones, and intelligence units to the major theatres of violence, identify, name, and prosecute the domestic and international sponsors of terror no matter whose ox is gored, strengthen border surveillance to stop the influx of foreign mercenaries from the Sahel.

Tinubu must recognize that the escalation of violence in Benue, Kebbi, plateau, Sokoto, Niger, Kwara, Borno, Kaduna, and other states is not motivated solely by religion or economic interest. It is a deliberate political strategy to destabilize Nigeria, drown communities in blood, delegitimize his government, and force a leadership collapse reminiscent of 2015.

Politicians, on their part, must remember that power comes from God and the people not from bloodshed, mercenaries, or foreign conspirators. It is morally bankrupt and spiritually wrong to sacrifice human lives on the altar of ambition.

To President Tinubu: giving up is not an option. Jonathan left, yet the killing fields expanded. Nigeria needs not an escape route but a courageous surgeon to excise this cancer. And whether critics like it or not, Tinubu possesses the political will, experience, courage and resilience to confront and dismantle the forces threatening our nation.

The hour demands courage. Nigeria must win this war. And Tinubu must lead it.

Aguoru is a Public Affairs Analyst