From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has issued renewed directives to Nigeria’s security and intelligence leadership, demanding an immediate halt to the ongoing violence in affected regions and declaring emphatically that ,”Enough is enough.”
He gave the directive yesterday ,when he met with security chiefs to address the issue of rising violence in Plateau, Benue and Borno states after he was briefed at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The meeting was attended by National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu; Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Mohammed Mohammed; Chief of Defence Intelligence, Maj.-Gen. Emmanuel Undianeye; Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Oluwatosin Ajayi; and the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, Ribadu said President Tinubu gave security chiefs several hours to brief him on the current situation, adding that,” the discussions were very detailed, exhaustive, and complete,from A to Z.”
According to Ribadu, the President had been consistently engaged with developments in the country, even while he was abroad:“He was constantly in touch, giving directives, following developments.This time, we were able to sit with him for hours and gave him proper briefing. We also took new instructions from him.”
The NSA stressed that Tinubu expressed deep concern over the ongoing insecurity, particularly in Plateau, Benue, Niger states, as well as in Omoru, Kwara State.
The President directed that the security apparatus must now fully engage with political authorities and grassroots structures in affected communities.
“Insecurity is not only a government problem. It also involves the subnational units:the communities, local governments, and governors. The President directed that we work more closely with them.”
The NSA noted that security agencies had already acted on earlier instructions from the President by visiting flashpoints, meeting with state leaders, and gathering feedbacks on local challenges.“Some of these problems are community-related. While not entirely so, that element plays a significant role,” he stated.
Speaking on the current security posture, Ribadu acknowledged the ongoing efforts by the Armed Forces, Police, and intelligence community across various regions. He said operations are running 24 hours a day, and praised the dedication of personnel,who he noted,”do not sleep, take no holidays, and sacrifice daily to keep the country safe.”
On Borno State, where recent months have seen an uptick in violence, Ribadu attributed the resurgence to insurgents planting IEDs and carrying out opportunistic attacks following periods of relative peace:“This enemy does not give up easily. When there’s peace for a long time, they try to shock the public with an isolated incident.”
Ribadu admitted that the country was not yet 100 percent security sure,but insisted that Nigeria is on the right course. “Security is relative. You compare what it was before and what it is now. There has been significant improvement.
“We don’t downplay any loss of life, but things have changed for the better, and we are committed to sustaining that progress.”
He concluded that the President is resolved to achieving peace:“Mr. President is working hard to ensure that Nigeria enjoys peace and stability. We are not relenting. We will not stop until we get the results he demands.”