Former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi has criticised President Bola Tinubu's administration over the persistent insecurity in Nigeria, citing the Palm Sunday attack in Angwan Rukuba, Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State. The assault, which occurred on March 28, 2026, left multiple people dead and several others injured. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Amaechi expressed deep sorrow over the incident and questioned the federal government's commitment to national security. "How long must the people of Plateau wait for relief? How long must Nigerians endure sleepless nights, living in fear of violence and death?" he asked. He accused the Tinubu-led government of failing to confront insecurity with the required urgency and seriousness. Amaechi recalled his tenure as governor, stating, "We proved in Rivers State that criminality can be fought and defeated. It can be done in Nigeria too." He condemned what he described as negligence by those entrusted with protecting lives. The Plateau State government responded by imposing a 48-hour curfew from midnight on March 29 to April 1, 2026, in Jos North LGA. President Tinubu denounced the attack as cowardly and barbaric, pledging that the perpetrators would face justice. The Christian Association of Nigeria and Amnesty International have also criticised the federal government for issuing repeated press statements without tangible action.
Rotimi Amaechi's claim of having defeated criminality in Rivers as governor stands in sharp contrast to the national chaos under Tinubu, but his critique rings hollow without evidence that his state's security gains were lasting or replicable. The fact that Plateau has resorted to curfews again in 2026 shows that temporary measures, whether under state or federal watch, do not dismantle the machinery of violence. If Amaechi's Rivers model was so effective, its blueprint has yet to influence any other region meaningfully. Without a national strategy beyond press statements or curfews, Nigerians will keep mourning in cycles.
