By Eshioromeh Sebastian
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced on Friday that terror-related deaths in Nigeria have dropped by 81 percent since 2015, as he delivered his Democracy Day address marking 27 years of uninterrupted civilian rule.
The President attributed the decline to sustained military offensives and improved coordination with international allies, revealing that over 13,000 terrorists have been neutralised in the past year alone.
“We have moved from training with our allies – the United States, France and other European countries – to precision targeting. In Arege, Borno State, we degraded ISWAP’s command centre,” Tinubu said.
The President’s security assessment came alongside a sober acknowledgement that the Democracy Day mood had been “dampened by the abduction of our children in Oyo and Borno.”
He expressed hope for their safe return while doubling down on his administration’s commitment to ending insecurity.
“Democracy without security is a mirage,” Tinubu declared.
He detailed significant investments in the security sector, including the approval of more than 50,000 new police officers and thousands of military recruits. Tinubu noted that the 2026 budget allocates N5.41 trillion – the largest ever – to defence and security.
“Our administration is ever ready to do much more to secure our people,” the President said.
Tinubu also revealed that over 124,000 fighters and dependents have laid down their arms since 2023 through Operation Safe Corridor. However, he issued a stern warning to those still engaged in criminal activity.
“To bandits, kidnappers, and sponsors of terror: Surrender or face the full force of the Nigerian State. These windows of surrender will not remain open forever. No mercy will be shown to those who trade in the blood of Nigerians,” Tinubu said.
The President called for national unity in the fight against insecurity, urging citizens not to assign blame along ethnic lines.
“Crime has no ethnicity. We must stand united and be assured that the enemies of our nation shall soon be history. We will triumph over terror and continue to build a more prosperous nation,” Tinubu said.
Beyond security, the President used the June 12 address to announce national honours for over 40 pro-democracy activists, journalists, and military officers who endured persecution, imprisonment, and exile during the struggle to restore democratic rule in Nigeria.
The list includes Babajide Kolade-Otitoju, Sam Omatseye, Olatunji Bello, Joe Igbokwe, Richard Akinnola, Joe Okei-Odumakin, and several others, as well as posthumous recognition for Dr. Arthur Nwankwo and Ben Charles-Obi.
Tinubu also honoured a group of “soldier-democrats” – military officers who supported the June 12 struggle – including Colonel Sambo Dasuki, Brigadier General Lawal Jaafaru Isa, and Major General M.A. Garba, among others.
The President paid tribute to the heroes of the June 12 movement, including Chief M.K.O. Abiola, Kudirat Abiola, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Chief Bola Ige, and many others.
“June 12 reminds us: Nigerians do not break. We bend, we bleed, but we do not break,” Tinubu said.
He urged citizens to embrace unity, reject despair, and work towards economic prosperity as the next frontier of the democratic struggle.
“The heroes of June 12 secured political freedom. Our challenge is to secure economic freedom. Democracy must be felt in the pocket,” Tinubu said.
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