The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has affirmed that the administration of President Bola Tinubu remains steadfast in overcoming the complex and deeply entrenched security challenges it inherited. Speaking on Friday night during the 50th anniversary celebration of the Nigerian Defence Academy’s 18 Regular Course in Abuja, Ribadu delivered a lecture titled “Veterans As Significant National Assets,” emphasizing the government’s progress in restoring peace and stability across the country.
Okay.ng reports that Ribadu highlighted the precarious situation Nigeria faced in 2022, describing it as a “dangerous crossroads” marked by multiple crises threatening the nation’s unity and future. He outlined the security threats spanning from the insurgency in the North East, violent banditry in the North West, to separatist tensions in the South East, and oil theft in the Niger Delta.
“When this administration took office in May 2023, Nigeria was facing five intractable security challenges,” Ribadu said. “We have Boko Haram insurgency in the North East, deadly banditry across the North West and North Central, resurgent separatist violence in the South East, large-scale oil theft in the Niger Delta, and communal clashes that had claimed thousands of lives.”
He further noted the additional pressures from porous borders, transnational crime, and climate-induced resource conflicts, which collectively created a “near-perfect storm of instability.”
Ribadu detailed significant achievements, including the neutralization of over 13,500 terrorists and criminals, the surrender of more than 124,000 Boko Haram/ISWAP fighters and their families, and the recovery of weapons caches. “Areas once held by insurgents in the Sambisa Forest, Lake Chad Basin, and Timbuktu Triangle are now under government control,” he said.
Regarding the North West, Ribadu revealed that over 11,250 hostages had been rescued in Zamfara and Kaduna States alone, and notorious bandit leaders such as Ali Kachalla, Halilu Sububu, and Dogo Bwari had been neutralized. “More than 50 criminal leaders and dozens of deputies have been taken out of circulation,” he added.
He also praised the success of non-kinetic strategies like Operation Safe Corridor Northwest, which led to the surrender of 35 armed leaders, a development he described as “once unimaginable.”
In the Niger Delta, Ribadu said the government reclaimed control over oil production, which increased from a historic low of one million barrels per day to an average of 1.8 million barrels. He noted the dismantling of over 1,900 illegal refineries and the restoration of all major pipelines.
“For the first time in three decades, oil production is resuming in Ogoniland,” he remarked.
Turning to the South East, Ribadu stated that through targeted military operations and community engagement, “relative calm” has returned. He observed that “sit-at-home” orders by separatist groups have significantly decreased, with many key figures arrested and facing justice. The restoration of police stations and law enforcement presence is helping rebuild social and economic life.
Ribadu also highlighted Nigeria’s advances in addressing modern security threats, including cyber defense and financial intelligence. “Illegal financial flows supporting terrorism and separatism—particularly through crypto platforms—have been disrupted,” he said. The establishment of a National Digital Forensics Laboratory and a Critical Infrastructure Protection Plan aims to enhance national cyber resilience.
The event was attended by prominent figures such as the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, the Minister of State for Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff, and other dignitaries.
