President Bola Tinubu is expected to hold a critical security meeting with service chiefs following his return to Nigeria, amid growing concern over increase in deadly attacks in Plateau, Benue, and other states.
Tinubu, who landed in Abuja on Monday night after an extended working visit to Paris and London, is reportedly unsettled by the wave of killings that occurred during his time abroad. The President’s aircraft touched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport around 9:50 p.m.
Since his departure on April 2, over 120 Nigerians have been killed by gunmen across several communities. In Benue State alone, at least 56 people lost their lives in twin attacks on Logo and Gbagir. Thousands have been displaced, and homes set ablaze despite the presence of security forces.
According to a senior government official, Tinubu has been receiving daily briefings while overseas and intends to meet with his top security team, including the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
“The President will certainly meet the service chiefs to review the security situation across the country and the flashpoints of Plateau, Benue, and Borno,” the official said.
As tension grows, the Presidency has partly blamed state governors for the worsening security, accusing them of poor funding of local security operations despite receiving hefty security allocations.
Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser on Policy Communication to the President, said during a television interview, “What we are finding, very sadly, is that there are some states where the governors give N20m to the SSS, N20m to the police, and N20m to the army as monthly allocation for fighting insecurity. And you hear their security vote is between N1bn, N2bn and N3bn. Where are we going?”
Bwala also pushed back against calls for state policing, suggesting that existing structures could suffice if better utilized. “In every state, there are the SSS, police, military, and paramilitary… That governor can give adequate infrastructure to help federal agents in their states,” he noted.
Meanwhile, former Chief of Army Staff, Theophilus Danjuma, reignited debate by calling on Nigerians to defend themselves. His remarks, made during a visit to Taraba, sparked mixed reactions.
While some leaders like Jigawa State Governor Umar Namadi warned that such calls could lead to chaos, others in Plateau and Taraba backed Danjuma.
