NATIONAL SECURITY CHIEFS BRIEF TINUBU IN EMERGENCY MEETING AMID MIDDLE BELT CARNAGE
President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday April 23rd hosted an emergency security meeting with top national security officials at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, as concerns mount over a wave of violent attacks across Nigeria’s Middle Belt and Northeast regions. The closed-door session, which lasted several hours, featured briefings from the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu; the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa; and the heads of intelligence and policing agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force Intelligence Bureau, and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).
The high-stakes meeting comes amid a resurgence of mass killings and displacement in Plateau, Benue, and Borno States, with local officials and civil society groups raising alarms about what appears to be a coordinated campaign of violence by unidentified assailants. No arrests have yet been made, despite dozens of deaths over a three-week period and entire communities being emptied in night-time raids. The governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, has blamed the killings on non-native armed invaders, describing the assailants as foreigners who “do not speak the language” of the local people.
NSA Ribadu, addressing the press after the meeting, said the session was both exhaustive and intense, with the President receiving updates on the escalating insecurity across the country. “Even while he was abroad, he remained in constant contact and issued directives. Today we gave a full update – from A to Z,” Ribadu said. He confirmed that the President had issued new directives and ordered the immediate deployment of security chiefs to critical zones. Emphasizing community-based solutions, Ribadu stated that President Tinubu insisted on engaging political authorities and traditional rulers at the grassroots level to tackle the security challenges.
On the deteriorating situation in Borno, Ribadu confirmed that the recent surge in violence stems from the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by insurgents targeting civilian populations. “These evil people don’t just accept defeat,” he said. “Most casualties have come from IEDs… They try to make statements even during periods of peace.”
Ribadu admitted that while full security is yet to be achieved, Nigeria is “on the right course.” He pointed to improved conditions in many areas, adding, “We will not stop until we achieve results.” The President’s meeting, which included key figures like DSS DG Oluwatosin Ajayi and CDI Gen. Emmanuel Undianeye, signals that the government is treating the crisis with utmost urgency. Yet public confidence remains fragile as calls grow louder for decisive action to end the bloodshed.
