President Bola Tinubu has expressed deep concern over the escalating security challenges facing Nigeria, firmly telling the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and other security chiefs that “enough is enough.”
The President’s strong directive came during a high-level meeting on Wednesday, where he demanded immediate and decisive action to stem the tide of violence across the country.
In response, NSA Nuhu Ribadu assured Nigerians that the security agencies have taken the President’s instructions seriously and are already acting on them. He acknowledged the recent surge in casualties but noted that many of the deaths were caused by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) planted by terrorists.
Ribadu, however, claimed that the overall security situation had improved, even as the country continues to grapple with coordinated attacks in various regions.
Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the security meeting held behind closed doors at the President’s residence, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the NSA, said that the President gave all security heads directive to end killings by the criminal elements and restore peace and stability.
He said: “Mr. President, gave us chance to come and brief him, and it lasted very long. We gave him update of what has been the case and what is going on. And even when he was out there, before coming back, he was constantly in touch.
“He was giving directives, he was following developments, and we in charge of the security, got the opportunity today (yesterday), to come and brief him properly for hours.
“And it was very detailed. And it was exhaustive. It was complete. And a to z, what has been the case and what’s been happening today.
“We listened and we took instructions from him. We got new directives. The fact is, Mr. President is insisting and working so hard to ensure that we have peace, security and stability in our country.
“We gave him what is going on, and we also assured him that work is ongoing and continues.
“We also carried out his instructions. We went round, the chiefs were all out where we had these iincidents of insecurity in Plateau State, Benue state, even Borno, these particular three states, and we gave him a feedback, because he directed us to go meet with the political authorities there.
“The issue of insecurity often is not just for the government. It involves the sub units. They are the ones who are directly with the people, especially if some of the challenges are more or less bordering on community problems.
“Not entirely everything is that, but of course it also plays a significant role.
You need to work with the communities. You need to work with the local governments. We need to work with the governors, especially the governors.”
Continuing, he said: “The President continues to direct that. We should be doing that, and that’s what we are able to do and we are very happy, very satisfied with the instructions and the directives given by Mr. President this evening.
“He’s so worried and concerned, he insisted that enough is enough, and we are working to ensure that we restore peace and security and all of us are there.
“The armed forces are there, the Civil Police, intelligence communities, they are there. They are working there 24 hours, and we feel that we have done enough to believe that we are on the right course, and we’ll be able to be on top of things.
“We are getting the cooperation of the leadership at the state level, and everybody. So we are good. It’s not really 100 per cent that everything is safe and secure, but we are going there.”
Mallam Ribadu said things have improved since, and will continue to be there. “We will work. It is his own instructions.
“Things have changed in this country. We’ve continued to, talk about it. Security is about relativity. What was it and what is it today? You compare how things were in the past.
“We do not underestimate even one life lost. We don’t take it lightly at all. But certainly, lots of things have changed and improve, and it will continue to.
“We are on right track. We are on the right direction, and we will not relent. We will not sit down, we will not stop until when we are able to achieve results.
“The same thing with Borno. Borno State, we know things escalated in the last few months or so, but these people you are fighting, evil people, will not just sit down and accept defeat. They will show their own.”