Tinubu says terrorism is everyone's fight, not just military's job

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has come out to say that defeating terrorism and insecurity is a national duty, not something we should leave only for the armed forces and security agencies. He spoke amid renewed concerns over kidnappings and terrorist attacks, stressing that citizens, communities, traditional institutions, religious leaders, and civil society groups all have roles to play by providing intelligence, promoting vigilance, and supporting national unity.

I have been thinking about this statement since I read it this morning. On one hand, the President is not wrong — security is indeed a collective responsibility, and we cannot have a situation where citizens just fold their arms and expect the military to do everything. But on the other hand, when you look at the reality on the ground, many Nigerians are already providing intelligence and cooperating with security forces, only for nothing to change. What is the point of giving information when the system does not act on it?

The President also reaffirmed that the government would not yield to terrorists or bandits and pledged continued support for security forces. That is good to hear, but we need to see concrete results, not just words. How many kidnap victims have been rescued this year? How many terrorist cells have been dismantled? Until we see measurable progress, statements like this will continue to feel hollow. What do you think — is Tinubu right to ask for collective effort, or is this another way of shifting blame away from government failures?