National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu has announced a significant drop in Boko Haram attacks, banditry and communal violence across northern Nigeria during the first two years of President Tinubu’s administration, marking an improvement over the previous government’s record.
Ribadu provided sobering figures to illustrate the earlier crisis: “1,192 people were killed and over 3,348 kidnapped in Kaduna State during the previous administration, while more than 5,000 were killed in Benue State within the same period.”
Delivering these remarks during a two-day interactive forum organized by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation in Kaduna, Ribadu credited the improvement to Tinubu’s directive for a unified security approach.
“The successes recorded in the fight against insecurity is as a result of President Tinubu’s directive to security agencies on a unified security approach.”
He disclosed that anti-insecurity operations across the North-West had freed 11,259 hostages as of May 2025 and that security forces had neutralised several bandit leaders in Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina states.
Ribadu also praised Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani for pioneering a non‑kinetic strategy to ease tensions in Southern Kaduna and Birnin Gwari.
“The NSA commended Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State for initiating the non-kinetic approach in addressing insecurity in Southern Kaduna, Birnin Gwari and other troubled communities in the state.”
The event was attended by northern governors including Uba Sani and Gombe’s Inuwa Yahaya, SGF Senator George Akume, service chiefs, ministers as well as other government functionaries.
