President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has again reaffirmed his administration’s resolve to safeguard lives and property, declaring national security emergencies in vulnerable and high-risk areas across the country.
He authorised intensified joint security operations and ordered the sustained deployment of security forces to priority locations, particularly communities facing recurrent attacks on civilians and religious groups.
Reiterating the President’s directive, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, stressed that the decisions were being matched with concrete action on the ground.
Speaking on Thursday in Abuja at the inauguration of the US–Nigeria Joint Working Group, Ribadu said Nigeria is expanding its early-warning and rapid-response mechanisms, while also developing a national database to serve as a single, authoritative source of accurate and verifiable data on deaths and casualties resulting from violent incidents.
According to him, the initiative will strengthen evidence-based decision-making, enhance accountability, and improve the overall effectiveness of security responses nationwide.
“Alongside these efforts, investigations and prosecutions relating to attacks on religious communities have been intensified to ensure that violence is met not only with force, but with justice and accountability,” Ribadu said.
He emphasised that Nigeria’s plural character makes the protection of all citizens non-negotiable.
“Nigeria is a deeply plural society, and the protection of all citizens—Christians, Muslims, and those of other beliefs—is fundamental. Violence framed along religious lines is treated as an attack on the Nigerian state itself,” he noted.
Ribadu added that the government’s response integrates security operations, the rule of law, humanitarian safeguards and strategic communication, ensuring that operational successes translate into public confidence and stronger social cohesion.
He said progress should be assessed by the overall direction of security reforms, decisions taken at the highest levels of government and the institutional capacity being built to prevent, respond to and punish violence.
Ribadu also highlighted that Nigeria’s partnership with the United States extends beyond security cooperation to democratic resilience, respect for the rule of law and regional stability in West Africa.
In his remarks, the United States Under Secretary for Political Affairs, Allison Hooker, said the partnership between the two countries is built on shared interests spanning trade, investment, security, energy and regional stability.
However, he expressed concern over reports that gunmen abducted more than 170 Christians in Kaduna State on January 18, stressing that Nigeria must do more to protect Christians and guarantee freedom of worship.
Recalling Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern in October 2025, Hooker said the two countries had since made progress in protecting vulnerable communities.
“I am here today to continue and broaden that partnership,” he said, adding that discussions would focus on deterring violence, prioritising counter-terrorism, investigating attacks and holding perpetrators accountable.
Also speaking, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the engagement reflects a mature strategic relationship founded on trust and shared responsibility.
He noted that cooperation with the United States has delivered operational gains, including enhanced intelligence sharing and closer coordination between U.S. AFRICOM and Nigeria’s military across multiple theatres of operation.
Idris added that the United States has committed to the delivery of outstanding military equipment, including drones, helicopters, platforms and spare parts, as well as possible support through surplus defence equipment.
Linus Aleke in Abuja
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