President Bola Ahmed Tinubu convened an extended high-level security meeting at the State House on Sunday evening, November 23, with Nigeria’s top defence and intelligence chiefs to address surging nationwide insecurity.
Attendees included Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa, Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Hasan Bala Abubakar, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, and Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) Adeola Ajayi, alongside other intelligence heads.
In a personal post on X, Tinubu revealed: “I am currently in an extended security meeting with our Service Chiefs, the IGP, the DG DSS, and heads of our intelligence agencies here at the State House.
We are reviewing the latest security reports and taking decisive actions to stabilise all affected areas.”The session, which ran late into the night, focused on recent escalations including kidnappings in Kaduna and Zamfara, ISWAP ambushes in Borno, and farmer-herder clashes in Benue and Plateau.
Sources indicate discussions covered operational gaps, intelligence sharing, and resource allocation amid criticisms of military recruitment shortfalls and cultist inaction in vulnerable zones.A key outcome:
Tinubu ordered the immediate withdrawal of all police officers assigned as personal security details to Very Important Persons (VIPs) nationwide.
These personnel numbering in the thousands are to be redeployed to frontline community policing duties. No more VIP protection at the expense of ordinary citizens’ safety,” the President reportedly directed, tasking the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to assume VIP guard roles where necessary.
Tinubu mandated security agencies to “act with speed, precision, and total resolve,” vowing that perpetrators of violence—from bandits to separatists would face the “full weight of the law.
He reassured Nigerians: “I am fully committed to the nation’s safety. Nigeria will prevail. This follows recent rescues: 38 Christian worshippers freed in Eruku, Kwara, and 51 students from a Niger State Catholic school.
However, the moves come amid backlash over Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo’s threats claims and Gen. Abdulmalik Biu’s controversial reintegration pledges for repentant insurgents.
Public reactions are mixed. Supporters hail the VIP redeployment as bold reform, while critics like VeryDarkMan question enforcement timelines.
Analysts see it as Tinubu’s push for accountability, echoing his 2023 campaign pledges to end banditry within months promises yet unfulfilled.
As 2025 ends with over 5,000 insecurity deaths reported, the meeting signals renewed urgency. Will these directives deliver? Nigerians watch closely.