• Military repels ISWAP attack in Yobe, kills 20 insurgents
• Musa: Troops making gains despite renewed assaults in Borno
• Police pull former IGP Egbetokun out of service
Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday held a two-hour security meeting with service chiefs at the Presidential Villa in Abuja to reassess strategies aimed at countering the resurgence of attacks in parts of the country.
The meeting came a day after the Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, summoned the service chiefs following renewed insurgent activity in the North-East, where more than three military bases were reportedly overrun within a week.
Thursday’s gathering was the first since Tunji Disu assumed office as Inspector-General of Police. During the meeting, the President directed the military to procure additional hardware to reinforce ongoing operations against terrorists and bandits.
Musa explained that discussions focused on the security situation across the country, particularly renewed attacks on military formations in the North-East, especially in Borno State. He noted that the armed forces had already adjusted operational tactics to counter the evolving strategies of insurgent groups.
Also present at the meeting were the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Chief of Defence Staff, Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Army Staff, Waidi Shaibu; Chief of Naval Staff, Idi Abbas; and Chief of Air Staff, Sunday Kelvin Aneke.
Others included Chief of Defence Intelligence, Emmanuel Undiandeye; Director-General of the Department of State Services, Oluwatosin Ajayi; Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed; and the IGP, Disu.
“The meeting was essentially for the services to brief Mr President on the current situation on the ground. You know, there have been a series of attacks and the security forces have risen to the occasion,” Musa told journalists afterward.
He said the security chiefs used the opportunity to provide the President with a detailed operational briefing and clarify what he described as misinterpretations of security developments circulating in the public space.
The defence minister acknowledged that insurgents had carried out recent attacks but maintained that Nigerian troops were achieving significant successes, including the elimination of terrorist commanders and the recovery of targeted locations. According to him, insurgent groups have suffered heavier casualties in ongoing confrontations with security forces.
While admitting that the military had also lost personnel, Musa described the fallen officers and soldiers as brave individuals who paid the ultimate sacrifice in defence of the nation.
He further noted that extremist groups often intensify attacks during the Ramadan period due to ideological motivations that encourage suicide missions and violent acts. Despite this, he said Nigerian troops had begun reclaiming strategic positions and neutralising key insurgent elements.
Musa appealed to Nigerians to remain confident in the country’s security institutions.
“Our appeal to Nigerians is not to get tired or discouraged,” he said.
In the past week, the military reportedly lost at least three commanding officers leading forward operating bases amid increased attacks on security formations, particularly in the North-East where Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province insurgents have intensified assaults on military positions.
Recent incidents included attacks in Ngoshe and separate assaults on Konduga, Marte, Jakana and Mainok in Borno State. The incidents prompted reactions from both President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, who vowed to deploy overwhelming force to end the insurgency.
Meanwhile, troops of the Joint Task Force in the North-East under Operation HADIN KAI repelled coordinated attacks by suspected fighters of ISWAP, killing more than 20 insurgents in Yobe State.
According to a statement by the operation’s media officer, Sani Uba, the attacks targeted troops stationed in Goniri under Sector 2 of the operation between the night of March 9 and the early hours of March 10.
He said the insurgents attempted to launch coordinated assaults from multiple directions in a bid to encircle the troops’ position but were detected through surveillance assets as they advanced from Goniri village and the Ngamdu Junction axis.
During an Iftar dinner with service chiefs on March 6, President Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s resolve to defeat terrorism.
“Nigeria will defeat terrorism despite these attacks. We will not bow to insurgents,” he said.
Vice President Shettima also stated that the government would bring the insurgency to an end with overwhelming force.
In a separate development, President Tinubu on Thursday again summoned the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Olubunmi Kuku, to the Presidential Villa.
The meeting came barely a week after the President suspended the cashless payment system at airport toll gates nationwide following widespread gridlock that caused many passengers to miss their flights.
Meanwhile, Inspector-General of Police Disu praised his predecessor, Kayode Egbetokun, for laying the groundwork for professional policing in the country.
Speaking during the official pull-out parade marking Egbetokun’s retirement at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, Disu recalled their early working relationship during Tinubu’s tenure as governor of Lagos State and described the former IGP as a leader who demonstrated strong leadership qualities from the beginning.
He added that the police under his leadership would continue to draw on the experience of former Inspectors-General while upholding professionalism and integrity within the force.
In his farewell remarks, Egbetokun expressed gratitude to God and the officers who supported his tenure.
“The office of the Inspector-General of Police represents not merely an individual tenure but a continuum of service and responsibility passed from one leadership to another in the collective interest of the Force and the Nigerian people,” he said.
