Senate President Godswill Akpabio says Nigeria's worsening insecurity is being sponsored by people who want President Bola Tinubu's government to fail — and who want to discredit the country's democracy itself.

He made the claim on Saturday in Abuja at the public presentation of three books honouring former Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar, who turned 84. One of the books is Abubakar's autobiography.

"I must say that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is grappling with a lot of enemies of progress, of what you left behind. Today, many are sponsoring insecurity in our country, to paint our democracy in a bad colour," Akpabio said.

"But I can tell you that with the determination of men and women in uniform, that the enemies we see today, we shall see them no more."

Abubakar became Head of State in June 1998 after Sani Abacha died. He oversaw the transition that handed power to Olusegun Obasanjo on 29 May 1999, starting Nigeria's current democratic era — now over two decades old. After retiring, he became an elder statesman and mediator for ECOWAS across Africa. He now chairs Nigeria's National Peace Committee.

Akpabio said the National Assembly is a product of the democracy Abubakar built. He assured the former leader that the government and security agencies are working on the country's security problems.

"You can imagine in a country where a child will stand up to kill the father because of Tramadol and because of all sorts of… I don't know how to put it," Akpabio said. "But I can tell you, no matter the insecurity we see today, with men like you, the example you have left behind, we will definitely defeat terrorism. We will defeat poverty in this country. And Nigeria will take its rightful place in the global community."

Akpabio's comments come as violence continues across many states — Benue, Plateau, Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, Borno, and parts of the North-central region. Armed groups, including terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers, have carried out attacks since Tinubu took office in May 2023.

Amnesty International reported in May 2025 that at least 10,217 people were killed by armed groups in Tinubu's first two years. Benue and Plateau had the highest casualties. Hundreds of communities were displaced, and armed groups overran several villages.

Kidnapping for ransom is also a major problem. SBM Intelligence recorded 4,722 abductions between July 2024 and June 2025. Families and communities paid at least N2.57 billion in ransom. The report called kidnapping a lucrative criminal enterprise fueled by weak law enforcement and economic hardship.

Mass abductions have happened under this administration — on schools, highways, and in rural communities. Farmers in many areas say they can't access their farmlands because of persistent attacks by bandits.

Akpabio expressed confidence the government would overcome both terrorism and poverty. But the numbers on the ground tell a different story.