Former APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Timi Frank, on Tuesday condemned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s planned state visit to the United Kingdom, calling it “callous, indefensible and morally bankrupt” in the wake of renewed bombings in Maiduguri.

In a detailed statement, Frank described Monday evening’s coordinated explosions—near the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, the main market, and the post office—as “a tragic, blood-soaked verdict on a failing security architecture.” Official figures indicate at least 23 Nigerians were killed and over 100 injured in attacks blamed on suspected suicide bombers.

“This is not just another attack—it is a national emergency,” Frank declared. “Our people are being slaughtered, our soldiers are under relentless assault, yet the President is preparing for a ceremonial outing in the UK. That is not leadership; it is abdication of responsibility.”

Frank demanded the immediate cancellation of the UK trip, warning that leaving Nigeria at such a moment would amount to “a cruel abandonment of grieving citizens.” “No responsible leader boards a plane to wine, dine and dance when his country is burying its dead. A President with empathy goes to Maiduguri, not London,” he added.

Extending his criticism to the British government, Frank accused it of “staggering hypocrisy and moral blindness” for extending the invitation. “The UK is aware of Nigeria’s escalating insecurity, mass unemployment, crippling electricity crisis, and the weakening of democratic institutions. Yet, it rolls out the red carpet. That is complicity, not diplomacy.”

He warned that the timing of the visit sends “a dangerous and insulting signal” that Nigerian lives are expendable and governance failures can be overlooked for ceremonial photo opportunities. Frank also alleged that the anti-terror war in Nigeria has been weakened by corruption and internal sabotage, claiming military resources are being diverted.

Frank condemned the “obscene and indefensible convoy of power” accompanying the President, including top officials such as Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi, Ministers Wale Edun, Jumoke Oduwole, Hannatu Musawa, Bosun Tijani, and retired Gen. Christopher Musa, among others.

He urged the international community to rethink its engagement with Nigeria, warning that uncritical support risks emboldening governance failures rather than solving the crisis.