BREAKING: Barely 24hrs after Returning from Abroad, Tinubu Demands to Meet All Service Chiefs, Reason Emerges
FCT, Abuja – President Bola Tinubu has scheduled an emergency meeting with Nigeria’s security chiefs barely a day after his return from an 18-day working visit to Paris and London.
The decision comes amid renewed violence and rising death tolls in Plateau, Benue, and other flashpoints across the country.
The presidential aircraft, Air Force 001, touched down at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at 9:50pm on Monday, April 21, with Tinubu returning to mounting security concerns at home.
Since his departure on April 2, over 120 civilians have been killed, and thousands have been displaced despite an ongoing military presence in the affected regions.
Tinubu to review security strategy
Sources within the Presidency revealed that the President would meet with service chiefs and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu to reassess the national security strategy and intensify operations in troubled zones, as reported by The Punch.
“The President will certainly meet the service chiefs to review the security situation across the country, especially in Plateau, Benue, and Borno.
“He’s been receiving regular briefings abroad and issuing instructions. Now that he’s back, he wants direct engagement,” a senior government official said.
The security meeting is expected to evaluate the effectiveness of current deployments and explore immediate tactical adjustments to curb the violence.
State governors under fire over security votes
In a parallel development, the Presidency has directed criticism at state governors, blaming them for inadequate support to security agencies within their territories.
This comes amid revelations that governors are spending disproportionately low amounts on security despite receiving substantial monthly security votes.
Speaking on TVC’s Beyond the Headlines, Presidential Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, accused some governors of token support to law enforcement agencies.
“Some governors allocate just ₦20 million each to the SSS, police, and army while their monthly security vote ranges from ₦1 billion to ₦3 billion. Where is the accountability?” he asked.
Bwala argued that the solution to Nigeria’s security crisis does not lie solely in creating a state police system, but rather in better utilisation of existing funds and resources under the current security framework.
Bwala tasks governors on improving local security
According to Bwala, state executives already have sufficient legal authority and federal presence, military detachments, DSS units, and police formations, to respond effectively if properly equipped and funded.
“A governor receiving ₦2–₦3 billion in security votes can allocate ₦1 billion to drones, vehicles, surveillance equipment and infrastructure to support federal agents,” Bwala noted.
He added that criminal groups are now deploying technologies such as drones, raising questions about the states’ capacity and willingness to match that level of sophistication, Leadership reported.
“Undemocratic elements are using more advanced tools than state governments. That’s unacceptable,” he stressed.
Alternative security options stir national debate
As the debate over security deepens, former Chief of Army Staff Theophilus Danjuma’s call for self-defence among Nigerians has divided opinion.
While Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa rejected the suggestion, fearing it could escalate violence, stakeholders in Plateau and Taraba backed it as a last-resort measure.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu’s forthcoming meeting with his security team is seen as a crucial step toward restoring confidence in government efforts and protecting lives across volatile regions.
Ameachi condemns killings in Nigeria
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that former presidential aspirant and former minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, called on Nigerians across religious and ethnic lines to embrace love, peace, and tolerance in order to build a united, secure, and prosperous nation.
Amaechi expressed deep concern over the ongoing killings of innocent citizens in various parts of the country and criticized Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu government’s apparent inability to protect its people.
