Follow Us on Google
By Suliyate Quadri
Former Chief of Army Staff and ex-Minister of Interior, Lt. General Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd), will speak on Nigeria’s security challenges and the quest for national cohesion, as part of the seventh Annual Lecture of the Just Friends Club of Nigeria (JFCN), scheduled to hold in Abuja next month.
The lecture, themed “Nigeria’s Security Challenges and the Quest for National Cohesion: A New Paradigm for Internal Security Architecture and Governance,” is expected to provide fresh insights into Nigeria’s ongoing struggle with internal security, terrorism, communal conflicts, and organized crime.
The event will be chaired by Tonnie Osa Iredia, a professor;former Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and the National Orientation Agency (NOA), and founder of Tonnie Iredia University of Communication, Benin City, Edo State.
In a statement, the President of the JFCN, Fred Ohwahwa, said the lecture would serve as a platform for deep policy reflection and dialogue on reforming Nigeria’s internal security systems to meet emerging challenges.
His words: “We are delighted and honoured to host Lt. General Abdulrahman Dambazau (Rtd),at this critical time in our national journey. His wealth of experience and thought leadership in security matters come at a time when the nation is yearning for fresh, pragmatic ideas to address complex internal security threats. We believe his lecture will challenge orthodoxies and offer a bold, coherent vision for Nigeria’s security and unity.”
General Dambazau, who served as Chief of Army Staff, between 2008 and 2010 and later as Minister of Interior from 2015 to 2019, is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most respected authorities on national security. A retired military officer,with a Ph.D. in Criminology from the University of Keele, United Kingdom, Dambazau has published extensively on security sector reform, counterterrorism, and civil-military relations.
The lecture will also feature a high-level panel discussion comprising leading security and policy experts, including: Air Vice Marshal Gbolahan Adekunle (Rtd), former Chief of Training and Operations and ex-Chief of Policy and Plans, Nigerian Air Force, and Okey Ikechukwu, Professor of Strategic Management at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. The panel will explore institutional weaknesses within Nigeria’s security system and propose actionable strategies for reform.
According to Ohwahwa, discussions will also highlight the importance of national cohesion and inclusive governance as sustainable tools for peace and development.
The Club is a non-partisan association of professionals, technocrats, and public-spirited Nigerians committed to civic engagement, governance reform, and national dialogue. Since its inception, the Club’s Annual Lecture Series has become a flagship platform for cross-sector policy conversations on critical socio-political and economic issues.
Previous editions have featured prominent policymakers, academics, civil society leaders, and members of the diplomatic community. The 2025 edition is expected to attract top government officials, lawmakers, retired military officers, youth leaders, traditional rulers, and security experts from across the country.
Troops rescue 23 kidnap victims, nab key terrorists’ collaborators
Troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria have in the last 24 hours, rescued no fewer than 23 kidnap victims, apprehended key terror collaborators and destroyed illegal oil refineries in different parts of the country.
A source at Army Headquarters said troops had sustained momentum in ongoing counter-terrorism and internal security operations nationwide.
In the North East, he said the troops of Operation HADIN KAI apprehended three Chadians at Gamboru Motor Park in Ngala, Borno State , with 12 Starlink internet devices and a solar battery suspected to be logistics meant for Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists.
Also in Yobe, the source said the troops of 233 Battalion intercepted a tricycle conveying fuel and other supplies for insurgents.
According to him, troops of 222 Battalion under 21 Special Armoured Brigade repelled an ambush in Konduga, killing one terrorist and recovering a dane gun.
In the North Central, he said the troops under Operations Mesa and Whirl Stroke recorded major breakthroughs with the arrest of four suspected kidnappers at Akuna village in Kogi.
According to him, a combined team of troops and security agencies rescued 23 kidnap victims, including four Chinese nationals, from terrorists’ enclaves in Chigogo Hills, Kwara.
“Troops also foiled a kidnap attempt along the Chikara–Abaji road, rescuing one victim and evacuating two others with injuries, while two suspected terrorist leaders were arrested in Shendam, Plateau.
“In the South East, troops of Operation UDO KA raided a hotel in Ngor Okpala, Imo State, believed to be a kidnappers’ den.
“Two men claiming to be police officers were caught with two AK-47 rifles, 58 rounds of ammunition, and other items.
“Four hotel staff were also taken into custody,” he said.
In the Niger Delta, the sources said the troops of Operation Delta Safe destroyed illegal refining sites in Delta and Rivers states.
“At Ughoton in Okpe Local Government, Delta state , troops seized 775 litres of illegally refined diesel hidden in a hotel and arrested the manager.”.
