Spate of Killings: Tinubu constantly in touch while away – NSA

The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu disclosed on Wednesday that President Bola Tinubu was aware of high level of attacks in the North Central Nigeria in the last three weeks and was constantly giving directives in his time away.

He stated this on Wednesday after a high level security meeting of himself and service Chiefs with President Tinubu, stressing that the meeting was lengthy, exhaustive, and detailed.

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“Yes, it was gracious of Mr. President to give us the opportunity to come and brief him. The meeting lasted a long time. We provided him with an update on what has been happening, including developments during his time away,” Ribadu said.

“Even while he was out of the country, he remained in constant touch. He gave directives and followed developments closely. Today, we who are in charge of security had the opportunity to brief him thoroughly—for hours. It was a very detailed and exhaustive session. We covered everything from A to Z.”

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Ribadu said Service Chiefs have been deployed to critical hotspots in Plateau, Benue and Borno States, even as President Tinubu issued fresh directives and insisted that peace must be restored across the country.

“We reported back to him, as he had instructed us to engage with political authorities in those areas. Insecurity is not just a government issue; it often involves local sub-units who are directly in touch with the people,” Ribadu said.

“Many of these challenges are community-related. To address this, it is essential to work with communities, local governments, and especially state governors. The President continues to emphasise this, and we are following through.”

Ribadu also underscored the urgency with which the administration is tackling the crisis: “He [President Tinubu] is deeply concerned and worried. He has insisted that enough is enough. We are working to ensure that peace and security are restored. Everyone is involved – the Armed Forces, civil police, and intelligence community are all on the ground, working 24 hours a day.”

While acknowledging that total security is yet to be achieved, Ribadu said the country is “on the right course,” with improved conditions in recent months.

“We do not underestimate the loss of even one life. We do not take it lightly. But certainly, a lot has changed and improved,” he said. “We will not stop until we achieve results.”

On the deteriorating situation in Borno State, Ribadu explained that recent escalations were largely driven by insurgents deploying improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to target civilians.

“These evil people don’t just sit and accept defeat,” he noted. “They try to make a statement. Most of the casualties we’ve seen have been from IEDs.”

He added that opportunistic attacks also occur during lulls in violence, undermining long stretches of peace. “When that happens, people tend to forget the peaceful days and focus only on the bad incident. But there are people out there who do not sleep, who make enormous sacrifices just to ensure this semblance of peace. And they will continue to do so.”

The security crisis has drawn sharp criticism from civil society groups and lawmakers, who are calling for urgent and decisive action to protect vulnerable populations. President Tinubu, who only recently returned from a private visit to Europe, had previously condemned the spate of violence.

Wednesday’s emergency meeting with his top security chiefs signals growing concern at the highest levels of government.

In attendance were Ribadu; Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Ajayi; DIG Police Head Force Intelligence. Benjamin Okolo; Director General of National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Mohammed Mohammed, Chief of Defence Intelligence Agency (CDI), and Gen. Emmanuel Undianeye.

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