Tinubu holds crucial security meeting with service chiefs

Tinubu security meeting with service chiefs in Abuja focuses on rising insurgent attacks and national security coordination

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday convened a high-level security meeting with Nigeria’s service chiefs at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, amid escalating insurgent attacks and growing national security concerns.

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The closed-door Tinubu security meeting lasted nearly two hours and marked the first such engagement since Tunji Disu assumed office as Inspector-General of Police.

The security chiefs arrived discreetly without their official vehicles and departed the Villa at about 5:10pm after extensive deliberations with the President.

Correspondents later identified the service chiefs and the police chief as they exited the forecourt following the discussions.

The meeting comes at a critical moment for Nigeria’s security architecture, particularly after a wave of deadly attacks targeting military formations in the North-East.

Within the past week, the armed forces lost at least three commanding officers overseeing forward operating bases after insurgents intensified assaults on military positions.

Among the most disturbing incidents was an attack on Ngoshe in Borno State that led to several abductions. Additional assaults were recorded in Konduga, Marte, Jakana and Mainok, further underlining the fragile security situation in the region.

The renewed attacks have drawn strong reactions from the Federal Government. During an Iftar dinner with service chiefs on March 6, President Tinubu assured the military that his administration would defeat terrorism despite recent setbacks.

“Nigeria will defeat terrorism despite these attacks. We will not bow to insurgents,” the President declared at the gathering.

Vice President Kashim Shettima also reaffirmed the government’s determination to crush the insurgency, promising that the administration would deploy overwhelming force to restore security.

Although officials declined to disclose details of Thursday’s deliberations, the Tinubu security meeting is believed to have focused on the surge in attacks on military personnel, the protection of vulnerable communities in the North-East and improved coordination among security agencies.

Earlier on Thursday, the President also summoned the Director-General of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Dr Olubunmi Kuku, to the Villa for the second time within a week.

The FAAN chief was sighted arriving at the Presidential Villa while the security discussions were still ongoing.

The meeting follows the recent suspension of the cashless payment system at airport toll gates nationwide after severe traffic gridlock caused passengers to miss flights.

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo had announced that the President ordered the suspension following complaints about congestion at Lagos and Abuja airports.

According to the minister, the President directed authorities to engage private sector operators to design a more efficient payment solution that eliminates cash transactions without disrupting airport access.

Thursday’s engagement with the FAAN leadership is expected to review progress toward implementing a hybrid system that allows both cash payments and prepaid cards while a permanent solution is developed.

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As of the time of filing this report, the outcome of both meetings had not been formally disclosed by the Presidency.

Quadri Olaitan