Published by Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu departed Abuja for Europe on Sunday, August 30, 2026, to begin a three-week annual vacation—his first stop London, United Kingdom—just as a fresh wave of terror, mass abductions, and bandit attacks swept across northern Nigeria, leaving scores dead and raising urgent questions about a commander-in-chief leaving the country at a time of unprecedented insecurity.
The Presidency, in a statement by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, described the trip as a "working vacation," adding that Tinubu would return to join the "hectic campaign" for the January 2027 election. But on the ground, Nigerians are not campaigning. They are dying.
Just hours before Tinubu's departure, troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA thwarted an attempted terrorist advance toward Ghandi town in Rabah LGA, Sokoto State. On Saturday, gunmen mounted a roadblock near a military checkpoint on the Barkin Ladi-Bokkos road in Plateau, dragged two pastors from a minibus, killed one, and abducted the other. On Friday, bandits stormed Chiromawa town in Kano State, killing three people, injuring five others, and abducting the 86-year-old Sarkin Noma, who was later rescued.
The violence has not relented. On August 21, suspected terrorists invaded four communities in Borgu LGA, Niger State—Gbeji, Kpenya, Giyan Gbasu, and Dekara—simultaneously attacking worshippers observing Juma'at prayers. At least 30 people were killed, and more than 60 worshippers were abducted from the Central Mosque in Dekara. The attackers targeted the mosque during prayers, dragging worshippers, including children, women, and elderly people, into the surrounding forest. Six days later, the terrorists had still not made contact with authorities. On August 28, the Nigerian Army repelled a terrorist attack on Kukawa town in Borno, killing 26 fighters and destroying 10 motorcycles.
In Zamfara, the bloodshed has been relentless. On August 25, bandits blocked the Gusau-Funtua Federal Highway near Unguwar Chida Village, killing the driver of a Sharon vehicle, six passengers, and one passenger on an SSTA bus. Eight others were abducted. Security forces later killed 17 of the attackers. Just days earlier, on August 18, at least 28 people, including the Chief Imam of Ungushi Izala Jumu'at Mosque, were killed in an attack on Ungushi community in Kebbe LGA, Sokoto State.
The attacks have drawn condemnation from across the religious and political spectrum. The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) condemned the Borgu attacks, describing the invasion of a mosque during Jumu'at prayers as "a heinous assault not only on innocent Nigerians but also a grievous attack on the sanctity of worship". Amnesty International has urged Nigerian authorities to urgently secure the release of the abducted worshippers. Northern senators have called for urgent action on state police, while the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, visited Niger State on August 29 to assess the situation and ordered intensified rescue operations.
But the President's departure has reignited criticism of his frequent foreign travels. In September 2025, Tinubu embarked on a 10-working-day annual leave to France and the UK. In October 2024, he took a two-week leave to the UK. Critics have long accused him of being a "nomadic president" who leaves the country while Nigerians face historic insecurity. One critic noted that Tinubu "leaves behind insecurity of historic proportions where 57 Nigerians die everyday from various forms of violent death".
The timing is particularly jarring. As Tinubu settles in London, families in Sokoto, Zamfara, Niger, Kano, and Plateau are burying their dead, searching for abducted loved ones, and fleeing their homes. In Dekara, residents are still waiting for word on the 60 worshippers dragged from the mosque during Friday prayers. In Gorau, Sokoto, bandits killed four people and abducted four others—specifically targeting families who had just received compensation for a boat tragedy that claimed 65 lives.
The Presidency has not disclosed Tinubu's full itinerary. But as he enjoys the comforts of London, the people of Nigeria's conflict zones are asking a simple question: if the President can take a three-week vacation while the country is under siege, who exactly is fighting for them?
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