The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has assured Nigerians that the Federal Government is fully committed to restoring peace and security across the country, particularly in the troubled states of Plateau, Benue, and Borno.
Ribadu gave this assurance on Wednesday while briefing State House correspondents following a high-level meeting between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and heads of intelligence agencies at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
According to the NSA, the President expressed deep concern over the ongoing killings in the three states and has directed an immediate scale-up of security operations to contain the situation and prevent further violence.
“Mr President gave us the chance to come and brief him again. It lasted very long. We gave him an update on what was going on,” Ribadu said.
He emphasized that the President has remained consistently engaged, even while outside the country, maintaining communication with the nation’s security chiefs and issuing necessary directives.
“Even when he was out there, he was constantly in touch, giving directives and following developments,” he noted. “Today, we had the opportunity to come and brief him again, and it lasted hours. It was a very detailed briefing, and it was exhaustive.”
Ribadu disclosed that during the meeting, President Tinubu reiterated his firm instruction to security agencies to intensify their efforts and work harder to restore peace across Nigeria.
“We listened, and we took instructions from him. He gave us new directives. The fact is that Mr President is insisting that we work harder to restore security in the country,” the NSA stated.
Providing insight into the government’s recent efforts, Ribadu confirmed that the directives previously issued by the President had been carried out, including visits to areas grappling with insecurity.
“We had carried out his instructions. We went to places with incidences of insecurity, such as Plateau, Benue, and Borno States,” he said. “We went to those particular three states. We gave him feedback on what was ongoing.”
He further stressed that the responsibility of addressing insecurity is not that of the Federal Government alone, but also rests with subnational actors. He called for stronger collaboration among all levels of government.
“The issues of insecurity is not just the burden of the Federal Government, it involves the sub-units too. They are the ones who are directly with the people—especially when the challenges are community-related problems,” he added.
Ribadu noted that the President had directed security agencies to deepen engagement with local communities, local government councils, and state governors in a bid to build sustainable peace.
“We need to work with the communities, the local governments, and especially the Governors. The President directed us to do this.”
Describing the President as deeply worried by the persistent violence, Ribadu quoted him as declaring that “Enough is Enough.”
“The President is worried and concerned. He insisted that ‘Enough is Enough,’” Ribadu stated.
He assured Nigerians that the country’s security agencies remain committed, coordinated, and are working around the clock to achieve concrete results.
“We will ensure that we restore peace and security. The security agencies are working 24 hours. We are working with and getting cooperation at the State levels, and we are getting to our destination,” he said.
While acknowledging the pain of lives lost to violence, Ribadu reiterated the resolve of the security architecture under President Tinubu to overcome the challenges.
“We don’t take any loss for granted, but we are working towards our results of dealing with these challenges,” he concluded.