The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday alleged that the recent spike in terrorist attacks across Nigeria is part of a coordinated attempt to undermine the administration of Bola Tinubu.

Akpabio made the remark in Abuja during the commissioning of the Nigeria Revenue Service Headquarters, stating that the attacks were intended to distract the President from ongoing reforms.

He said the situation would improve after the electoral cycle, suggesting that the violence was being sponsored to destabilise the government.

The comments come amid heightened security concerns following a series of incidents, including a recent airstrike by the Nigerian Air Force in Yobe State that reportedly killed dozens of civilians. While the military described the operation as a targeted strike on insurgent logistics, Amnesty International criticised it as reckless and called for an independent investigation.

The Presidency has defended the operation, maintaining that the location had been used by insurgent groups as a logistics hub.

Akpabio’s statement also followed a closed-door meeting between Tinubu and the Chief of Defence Staff, Olufemi Oluyede, alongside a French military official at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Sources indicated that the discussions were part of ongoing efforts to strengthen security collaboration, including previously announced plans for military equipment and training support from France.

Concerns over Nigeria’s security situation have also drawn international attention

The United States Department of State recently authorised the voluntary departure of non-essential personnel from its embassy in Abuja and issued a “Level 4: Do Not Travel” advisory for several states, citing risks from insurgency, banditry and communal violence.

In response, the Federal Government said the advisory was based on internal US protocols and did not reflect a nationwide breakdown of security, noting that most parts of the country remain stable.

Nigeria continues to face multiple security challenges across regions, including insurgency in the Northeast, banditry in the Northwest and North-Central and separatist-related violence in parts of the Southeast.