Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, announced a substantial decline in insecurity across the northern region, attributing the progress to President Bola Tinubu’s unified security strategy. Speaking at a two-day interactive session organized by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation in Kaduna on Tuesday, Ribadu stated that incidents of Boko Haram attacks, banditry, and communal clashes have drastically reduced over the past two years.
Ribadu contrasted the current security landscape with the previous administration’s challenges. He revealed that Kaduna State alone experienced 1,192 fatalities and over 3,348 kidnappings during the preceding period. Similarly, Benue State recorded more than 5,000 deaths within the same timeframe.
The NSA emphasized that President Tinubu’s directive for security agencies to adopt a cohesive approach has been pivotal in achieving these successes. He reported that various security operations across the North-West have led to the liberation of 11,259 hostages as of May 2025. Furthermore, security forces have neutralized numerous bandit leaders and their gang members in Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina states.
Ribadu also commended Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State for implementing non-kinetic strategies to address insecurity in Southern Kaduna, Birnin Gwari, and other volatile communities within the state.
The interactive session, hosted by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, has brought together prominent northern leaders to evaluate the Tinubu administration’s performance, particularly concerning the socio-economic well-being and security of the region.
The gathering includes notable figures such as Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, Gombe State Governor Inuwa Yahaya, Secretary to the Government of the Federation Senator George Akume, other serving and past governors, service chiefs, ministers, and various political appointees from the northern region. The foundation stated that this review serves as a crucial assessment of the federal government’s responsiveness to the multifaceted challenges facing northern Nigeria.
