The National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has said that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is making significant strides in addressing the country’s long-standing security challenges inherited from previous governments.
Speaking at the 50th anniversary celebration of the Nigerian Defence Academy’s 18 Regular Course on Friday night in Abuja, Ribadu highlighted the administration’s successes in restoring order and national confidence amid crises that once threatened Nigeria’s unity and stability.
“When this administration assumed office in May 2023, Nigeria was grappling with five deeply rooted security challenges,” Ribadu said. “We had the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East, violent banditry across the North West and North Central, separatist unrest in the South East, large-scale oil theft in the Niger Delta, and devastating communal clashes nationwide.”
Delivering a lecture titled “Veterans As Significant National Assets”, Ribadu noted that the situation in 2022 was dire, describing it as a time when the country stood “at a dangerous crossroads.”
He disclosed that over 13,500 terrorists and criminals had been neutralised, while more than 124,000 Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters, along with their families, had surrendered. “We have reclaimed territories once held by insurgents in key locations such as Sambisa Forest, Lake Chad Basin, and the Timbuktu Triangle,” he added.
In the North West, Ribadu said the impact of counter-banditry operations had been profound, with over 11,250 hostages rescued in states like Zamfara and Kaduna. He also confirmed the neutralisation of notorious warlords including Ali Kachalla, Halilu Sububu, and Dogo Bwari, alongside more than 50 other criminal leaders and their lieutenants.
Highlighting the government’s non-kinetic approach, Ribadu praised Operation Safe Corridor Northwest, which has led to the peaceful surrender of 35 armed leaders. “This level of surrender was once unimaginable,” he said. “But through a mix of sustained military pressure and community-based peace efforts, we are achieving real progress.”
He also reported that oil production in the Niger Delta has improved from one million to 1.8 million barrels per day, thanks to tighter control over pipeline infrastructure and the dismantling of over 1,900 illegal refineries. “All major pipelines are now protected and operational. For the first time in 30 years, oil production has resumed in Ogoniland,” Ribadu said.
Addressing separatist tensions in the South East, Ribadu said that government actions had restored relative calm in the region. “The infamous ‘sit-at-home’ orders have drastically declined, and many of the agitators’ key figures are in custody and facing justice,” he said. “Social and economic life is beginning to return to normal, with rebuilt police stations and a renewed law enforcement presence.”
On emerging threats, Ribadu pointed to progress in cyber defence and financial intelligence. He said Nigeria had disrupted illegal financial flows, especially those linked to terrorism and separatist activities via cryptocurrency platforms. “A National Digital Forensics Laboratory and a Critical Infrastructure Protection Plan have been established to improve cyber resilience,” he announced.
Dignitaries at the reunion dinner included the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, Minister of State for Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff, and top military officials.