Nigeria independence day: President Bola Tinubu pleads for ‘patience’ amid tough economy

Tinubu also addressed security in his speech, saying: “I am happy to announce to you, my compatriots, that our administration is winning the war on terror and banditry.”

He added that the government has eliminated commanders from Boko Haram – a leading Islamist militant group in Nigeria – “faster than ever”.

The nation’s military has recently stepped up its campaign against armed groups, intensifying air bombardment and land operations.

Troops “neutralised” almost 2,000 “terrorists” in the third quarter of the year, a military spokesperson said earlier this week.

But last week 24 people were killed when a military airstrike targeted armed gangs in Kaduna state but, according to local residents, hit a mosque and homes instead.

And reports of civilians being attacked by the armed groups the government is fighting still surface frequently.

Just two days ago, local media reported that armed assailants killed at least two people and kidnapped 44 others in separate attacks in the states of Zamfara and Kaduna.

Protesters launched demonstrations on Tuesday, with the organisers saying they were against “the devastation, hunger, insecurity and the hardship that this government has unleashed on Nigerians”.

Similar protests took place in early August. At least 21 people were killed in the demonstrations, while hundreds others were arrested and charged with treason, looting and vandalism.