Tinubu determined to end security challenges—Information Minister

• Says 13,500 terrorists killed, 17,000 suspects arrested since 2023

• National security remains Tinubu’s top priority – FG

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is more than determined to confront and end security challenges in the country.
Idris stated this on Wednesday during a press briefing in response to the designation of Nigeria as a country of particular concern (CPC) by the US government and threats of military invasion by President Donald
He said since May 2023, when Tinubu assumed office, Nigeria’s security agencies have neutralized more than 13,500 terrorists through sustained operations and arrested over 17,000 suspects, who are now undergoing interrogation or prosecution for various offences. He added that, more than 9,800 victims abducted by terrorist elements, including women and children, have been rescued and reintegrated.
“It is important to restate that the menace of terrorism in Nigeria does not exclusively target any religious or ethnic group. As in many parts of the world, extremism is mindless, blind to religion, tribe, or class. It is a war against all peace-loving Nigerians and against the unity and progress of our great nation.
“Therefore, any narrative suggesting that the Nigerian State is failing to take action against religious attacks is based on misinformation or faulty data. Several leading personnel of the very dedicated Armed Forces of Nigeria and the country’s intelligence agencies are Christians, working and succeeding alongside their Muslim colleagues in the fight against extremists and criminals waging war against our country and values.
“Also, Nigeria’s security challenge cannot be fully understood without acknowledging the volatile security situation in the Sahel region—and complicating factors such as the collapse of Libya over a decade ago, flooding the region with terrorist elements, extremist groups, and illegal weapons.
“The regional dimension underscores why Nigeria continues to champion greater cooperation within ECOWAS, the African Union, and international partners – including ths United States – to stabilise the Sahel and cut off the transnational lifelines of terrorism.
“The other issue is the socio-economic dimension of the conflict in the North-Central, especially in Plateau and Benue State, exacerbated by age-long farmers-herders violent clashes made worse by climate change and desertification.
“The recent change in Service Chiefs and the subsequent realignment within the Armed Forces and security agencies reflect President Tinubu’s determination to reinvigorate Nigeria’s security architecture. This strategic overhaul is designed to infuse fresh energy, innovation, and accountability into our national defence and intelligence systems.
“The mission is to deliver better results, strengthen coordination among the services, and stamp out terrorism and violent crime in every part of Nigeria. The President’s directive is unequivocal — that every inch of Nigerian territory must be secured, and every citizen must live free from fear.
“Our military and other security agencies are winning the war on terrorism and the results in the past years and most especially in the last two years of President Tinubu’s leadership are real and remarkable.
“We have made stringent efforts in curtailling access to small arms and light weapons by non-state actors. Security agencies recovered and destroyed over 5,000 military-grade rifles and intercepted over 20 gun-running networks in the past months.
“The administration has made multi-million-dollar investments in modernised equipment for our security agencies and has increased the defence and security budget. The President has always given the military his absolute support, and I assure you that there is the political will to remove the last vestiges of this menace from our country.
“In the past two years, significant progress has been made in the war against terrorism across the North-West, North-East and South-East, North-Central, and other parts of our country. Within this period, the number of terrorism-related attacks has plummeted. In March, a report by the Global Terrorism Index indicated that terrorist attacks were at their lowest in over a decade in Nigeria.”