From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, said President Bola Tinubu, will do everything in his power to end the inherited security challenges bedeviling the country.
Ribadu, while noting that Nigeria had stood at dangerous crossroads in 2022, grappling with multiple crises that threatened its unity, stability, and future, he however assured that insecurity would soon become a thing of the past.
The NSA made this known in a lecture he delivered titled, “Veterans As Significant National Assets”, at the 50th anniversary celebration of the Nigerian Defence Academy 18th Regular Course, held in Abuja.
The NSA, who listed the challenges to include the insurgency-ravaged North East to the blood-soaked valleys of the North West, from the turbulent Niger Delta to separatist tensions in the South East, said the government has made bold strides in restoring security and rebuilding national confidence.
“When this administration took office in May 2023, Nigeria was facing five intractable security challenges. We have Boko Haram insurgency in the North East, deadly banditry across the North West and North Central, resurgent separatist violence in the South East, large-scale oil theft in the Niger Delta, and communal clashes that had claimed thousands of lives.
“Additionally, porous borders, transnational crime, and climate-induced resource conflicts created a near-perfect storm of instability.
“The government’s counterinsurgency campaign has led to over 13,500 terrorists and criminals being neutralised, and more than 124,000 Boko Haram/ISWAP fighters and their families have surrendered.
“Weapons caches and thousands of rounds of ammunition have been recovered.
“Areas once held by insurgents in the Sambisa Forest, Lake Chad Basin, and Timbuktu Triangle are now under government control,” Ribadu said.
The NSA said the North West, which had been ravaged by bandits was witnessing changes, adding that over 11,250 hostages had been rescued in Zamfara and Kaduna states alone.
He added that notorious warlords such as Ali Kachalla, Halilu Sububu, and Dogo Bwari had been neutralised, adding that more than 50 criminal leaders and dozens of deputies had been taken out of circulation.
According to him, non-kinetic strategy, including the innovative Operation Safe Corridor Northwest, has also led to the surrender of 35-armed leaders.
“This was once unimaginable, but through coordinated military pressure and community-based peace efforts, we are making real progress,” he said.
In the Niger Delta, Ribadu said the government had reclaimed control of the nation’s lifeblood in the region once plagued by massive crude oil theft and sabotage.
Ribadu said that oil production had increased from a historic low of one million barrels per day to an average of 1.8 million, a major economic boost.
According to him, all major pipelines are now operational and protected, while over 1,900 illegal refineries have been dismantled.
“For the first time in three decades, oil production is resuming in Ogoniland. In the South East, through surgical operations and community engagement, the zone is seeing relative calm.
“The so-called “sit-at-home” orders by separatist agitators have significantly waned, and many arrested key figures are facing justice.
“Social and economic life is beginning to return to normal. Rebuilt police stations and renewed law enforcement presence are restoring confidence,” Ribadu added.
Ribadu said that modern threats were also being addressed, adding that Nigeria had made headway in cyber defence and financial intelligence.
According to him, illegal financial flows supporting terrorism and separatism, particularly through crypto platforms, have been disrupted.
He said that a National Digital Forensics Laboratory and a Critical Infrastructure Protection Plan had been deployed to boost national cyber resilience.