By Juliet Ezeh
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday held a high-level security meeting with the nation’s service chiefs at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, amid growing concerns over renewed attacks on military formations and communities in parts of the country.
The closed-door meeting, which lasted nearly two hours, is the first security briefing chaired by the President since Tunji Disu assumed office as the new Inspector-General of Police.
Security chiefs arrived at the Presidential Villa without their usual official convoys, making their identification difficult. They were later recognised by journalists as they exited the forecourt at about 5:10 p.m. after the deliberations.
Although the Presidency did not immediately disclose details of the discussions, the meeting comes against the backdrop of increasing attacks on security personnel, particularly in Nigeria’s North-East.
In the past week alone, the military reportedly lost at least three commanding officers overseeing forward operating bases following renewed offensives by insurgent groups.
The attacks were attributed to fighters linked to Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, who have intensified assaults on military positions and communities across Borno State.
Among the most recent incidents was an attack on Ngoshe community, which reportedly led to abductions. Similar assaults were also recorded in Konduga, Marte, Jakana and Mainok areas of the state.
The developments had earlier drawn strong reactions from both the President and Kashim Shettima, who pledged decisive action against insurgent groups.
During an Iftar dinner with service chiefs on March 6, Tinubu assured Nigerians that the government remained committed to defeating terrorism.
“Nigeria will defeat terrorism despite these attacks. We will not bow to insurgents,” the President said.
Shettima had also stated that the administration would deploy overwhelming force to bring an end to the insurgency.
Thursday’s meeting also marked the first formal security engagement between the President and the new police chief, Disu, who assumed office on February 28 following the resignation of his predecessor.
Sources familiar with the discussions said the meeting likely focused on strengthening coordination among security agencies, improving intelligence sharing, and responding to the recent spike in attacks on both military personnel and vulnerable communities.
FAAN DG Summoned Again
Meanwhile, in a separate development, the President also summoned the Director-General of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Olubunmi Kuku, to the Presidential Villa for the second time in one week.
Kuku was sighted entering the Villa while the security meeting with service chiefs was still ongoing.
The latest summons comes days after the President ordered the suspension of the cashless payment system at airport toll gates nationwide following widespread complaints of traffic congestion that caused several passengers to miss their flights.
The directive was announced by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, after a Federal Executive Council meeting.
Keyamo said the President intervened after reports that the cashless system had caused severe gridlock at major airports in Abuja and Lagos.
“Mr President was very concerned about the welfare of Nigerians and the fact that many were missing their flights because of the congestion,” the minister said.
The Federal Government has since directed aviation authorities to work with private sector operators to design a more efficient payment model that eliminates cash transactions while preventing traffic bottlenecks at airport entry points.
Officials said discussions with the FAAN boss may be linked to progress on implementing a hybrid payment system that would temporarily allow both cash payments and prepaid cards while a permanent digital solution is developed.
The cashless toll system was introduced to replace a decades-long manual collection process that authorities said had been vulnerable to fraud and revenue leakages.
As of the time of filing this report, Kuku was still meeting with the President at the Presidential Villa.
Juliet Ezeh is the founder and chief reporter at Westbridge Reporters with over 7 years of experience in journalism. She covers crime, industry, policy, and social developments, delivering timely and accurate reporting.