Abuja, Nigeria — The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, held a comprehensive security meeting with the top military service chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the nation’s capital, on Thursday, March 12, 2026. The crucial gathering, which lasted for nearly two hours, concluded at approximately 5:10 pm West African Time (WAT, GMT+1). The security chiefs arrived at the venue without their usual official vehicles and held extensive closed-door discussions with the President.
This high-level meeting took place against the backdrop of rising security challenges across the West African nation. Over the past week, the Nigerian military has lost at least three commanding officers who were in charge of forward operating bases. These losses followed a noticeable increase in attacks on military personnel and formations, particularly in the northeastern region of the country, where insurgents from Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have escalated their offensive actions. Okay News reports that recent major incidents included an attack in the town of Ngoshe in Borno State, which led to several abductions, alongside targeted assaults on the communities of Konduga, Marte, Jakana, and Mainok, which are all located within Borno State.
In response to these security breaches, both President Tinubu and the Vice President of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima, have publicly committed to using overwhelming military force to restore peace. During a special dinner with the service chiefs on Monday, March 6, 2026, President Tinubu reaffirmed the dedication of his administration to eradicating the insurgency. “Nigeria will defeat terrorism despite these attacks. We will not bow to insurgents,” the President stated. Vice President Shettima also released a formal statement through his spokesperson, Stanley Nkwocha, echoing the promise to end the violence decisively. This Thursday session also marked the first official security meeting for Tunji Disu since he officially assumed the office of Inspector-General of Police on Saturday, February 28, 2026.
In a closely related administrative development on the same day, President Tinubu summoned Dr. Olubunmi Kuku, the Director-General of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). This marked her second invitation to the Presidential Villa within a single week. The summons followed the President’s recent directive to suspend the newly implemented cashless payment system at all airport toll gates across the country. The abrupt suspension was ordered after the new policy caused severe traffic congestion, resulting in numerous passengers missing their scheduled flights.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had previously addressed the media on Wednesday, March 5, 2026, to explain the policy reversal. “Mr. President was very concerned about the welfare of Nigerians and the fact that most Nigerians were losing their flights, missing their flights. So Mr. President, out of empathy, directed today that we should suspend the present system because it creates a lot of gridlock,” Keyamo stated. The federal government is now working closely with private sector partners to design a more efficient, hybrid payment system that will eventually replace the outdated cash collection method, which has been criticized for revenue leakages over the past five decades, without causing further delays for travelers.
