Nigeria’s Misplaced Priorities: Tinubu Sends Fighter Jets to Benin While Terrorists Rampage at Home

Image credit: Sititalkblog

Nigeria is facing one of its most severe security crises in decades, yet government action has sparked intense criticism. Reports indicate that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu authorized the deployment of fighter jets and plans to send ground troops to the Republic of Benin. Meanwhile, thousands of terrorists, including Boko Haram, Islamic jihadists, and armed bandits, continue to operate freely across northern and Middle Belt states, and the rest of Nigeria, causing death, destruction, and mass displacement.

This contrast has led many Nigerians and security analysts to question the priorities of the federal government amid escalating internal insecurity.

Fighter Jets Abroad, Terrorists at Home

Senate approval has raised serious concerns. The Tinubu administration circulated claims that Patrice Talon, the widely unpopular President of Benin who is allegedly facing an imminent coup d’état, urgently requested Nigerian military assistance.

While the government frames this deployment as an act of regional security cooperation, critics argue that the move highlights a troubling contradiction: Nigeria’s sophisticated military hardware is being dispatched abroad, even as insurgents, terrorists, and bandits continue to terrorize local communities at home without adequate countermeasures.

Adding to the irony, this is the same Tinubu-led government that once invoked Nigeria’s sovereignty to vehemently protest when former U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to deploy American forces to eliminate terrorist groups operating in northern Nigeria.

Thousands of villages across Kaduna, Plateau, Taraba, Zamfara, and Borno states have been overrun by armed groups. Residents live in constant fear, unable to access farmland, markets, or schools. Displaced families have flocked to IDP camps, facing overcrowding, hunger, and disease—conditions that could be mitigated with stronger domestic security enforcement.

Misplaced Priorities in National Security

Security experts point out that the government’s allocation of military resources highlights a fundamental misalignment. Fighter jets and ground troops are being considered for external missions, while internally, terrorists continue to operate with near impunity. The lack of aerial and ground campaigns within Nigeria allows insurgents to expand their influence, loot villages, kidnap residents, and destabilize communities.

This situation reflects what many analysts describe as “misplaced priorities” in Nigeria’s national security strategy—where the protection of neighboring states seems to outweigh the protection of Nigerian citizens.

The Human Toll

The consequences of this imbalance are catastrophic. Reports from humanitarian agencies indicate:

• Mass killings and abductions by jihadists and bandits

• Displacement of tens of thousands of families into overcrowded IDP camps

• Destruction of farmlands, markets, and schools

• Rising malnutrition and disease due to lack of protection and resources

Families in the Middle Belt and northern Nigeria are losing livelihoods, homes, and loved ones, with limited hope of immediate relief.

Calls for Reassessment

Civil society leaders, local politicians, and security analysts are calling for urgent reassessment of Nigeria’s security priorities.

Immediate recommendations include:

• Redeployment of fighter jets and special forces to counter insurgents internally

• Increased intelligence and surveillance in terror-prone regions

• Strengthening local policing and military presence in vulnerable communities

• Accountability and transparency in security resource allocation

Conclusion: A Nation in Crisis

Nigeria faces an existential threat from terrorism and armed banditry. Yet the government’s focus on external deployments, rather than protecting its citizens, raises serious concerns about leadership, accountability, and the true prioritization of national security.

Key Takeaways:

• President Tinubu authorized fighter jets to Benin while terrorists continue unchecked in Nigeria.

• Thousands of Nigerian villages are under siege from jihadists and bandits.

• Overcrowded IDP camps reflect the human cost of inaction.

• Experts call for redeployment of resources to address domestic threats.

• Misplaced priorities endanger citizens and exacerbate the humanitarian crisis.

Nigeria’s citizens are asking a simple question: Why defend borders abroad while chaos reigns at home? Until domestic security takes precedence, thousands of innocent lives will continue to hang in the balance.