Mr. Macaroni Writes: As Nigeria Grieves, Presidency Turns Blind Eye from Abroad

 

Another day, another headline soaked in sorrow. The grim tally of violence in Nigeria continues to rise, with fresh reports of killings from various parts of the country. Plateau, Benue, Enugu — names once synonymous with cultural richness and communal harmony — now echo with gunshots and grief. The weight of bloodshed continues to crush the spirit of a people desperate for peace, yet abandoned by those sworn to protect them.

In Plateau State, villagers are still counting their dead after yet another raid by suspected gunmen. In Benue, farmers mourn loved ones murdered in their sleep. Enugu, too, reels from violent attacks that appear to go unchecked. From North Central to the Southeast, the trail of tragedy remains constant. The pattern is all too familiar: unprovoked attacks, slow or non-existent response from security forces, empty condemnations, and a return to routine — until the next wave hits.

Yet, while homes across Nigeria burn, the nation's leadership has chosen distance — both in words and in presence. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, rather than addressing the spiraling insecurity back home, is currently in France. According to official statements, he is there to “appraise his administration’s midterm performance.” What this appraisal entails — and why it required leaving the country amid a security crisis — remains unclear.

As if to double the blow, Vice President Kashim Shettima is also out of the country, attending engagements in Senegal. With both the President and Vice President abroad simultaneously, many Nigerians are left wondering: who exactly is steering the ship?

What is most jarring, perhaps, is the contrast in priorities. At a time when many citizens live in fear, entire communities have been displaced, and families are burying their loved ones, the optics of high-level political figures participating in foreign events appear callous, even indifferent.

Civil society groups have not remained silent. The Human Rights Advocacy Network issued a statement Thursday, decrying what they called “a flagrant disregard for the sanctity of Nigerian lives.” “It is utterly disheartening that while ordinary Nigerians are being slaughtered with impunity, the Commander-in-Chief and his deputy are comfortably seated abroad, discussing governance as though governance is divorced from the protection of life,” the statement read.

On social media, hashtags such as #SecureNigeria and #NigerianLivesMatter are trending, reflecting growing public frustration. Nigerians, weary of promises and pained by repeated tragedies, are demanding accountability — not just from security agencies, but from a presidency that increasingly appears aloof.

This is not the first time top government officials have traveled abroad during a national crisis, but the timing and frequency of such absences are raising deeper questions about the moral compass of Nigeria’s leadership. Is the life of an average Nigerian truly valued? Or are they seen as mere statistics, to be counted and forgotten until the next electoral season?

As the nation grapples with these existential questions, one thing remains certain: blood continues to be spilled, and the silence from Aso Rock is becoming too loud to ignore. For the families in mourning, the visits to France and Senegal offer no comfort. Their anguish is a reminder that security is not just about policies — it’s about presence, compassion, and above all, responsibility.

Until leaders begin to see the pain of their people as their own pain, the cycle of violence may never end. And Nigeria, full of promise, may remain trapped in a loop of unfulfilled potential and preventable loss.

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