The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has suggested that Nigeria’s recent surge in insecurity may have been triggered by inflammatory remarks made by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, Bwala said the country is currently experiencing a difficult phase, and the timing of the unrest aligns with two evolving theories.
According to him, insecurity in Nigeria tends to rise as election cycles approach, making the first theory unsurprising.
However, the second theory, which he described as “gaining traction,” links the wave of attacks to Trump’s widely publicized outburst about Nigeria.
“After Donald Trump’s initial outburst, we began to witness repeated security incidents,” Bwala said. “Some people believe these attacks may be orchestrated to reinforce conversations about a possible military intervention in Nigeria.”
His comments come after Trump redesignated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” accusing the government of enabling what he claimed was targeted violence against Christians.
Trump also warned that failure to act could compel the United States to intervene militarily to apprehend those behind the unrest.
Bwala noted that the Nigerian government is deeply concerned—not just about international narratives—but about the lived experiences of its citizens. He assured that the administration is committed to ending the security crisis.
Explaining the complexities of policing Nigeria’s vast landscape, Bwala highlighted the demographic and geographic challenges that enable criminal groups to thrive.
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“Niger State alone is larger than some countries in Europe,” he said. “In the north, cities are spread far apart. Moving from one major town to another feels like crossing into a new country. Large portions of land are sparsely populated and lack government presence, making them ideal hideouts for criminals.”
He emphasized that these realities make security operations challenging but stressed that the government is taking strategic steps to address the situation.
