National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has said that incidents of Boko Haram attacks, banditry, and communal conflicts in Northern Nigeria have significantly declined over the last two years of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Speaking on Tuesday at a two-day interactive session organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation in Kaduna, Ribadu attributed the improvement in security to President Tinubu’s directive for a unified approach among security agencies.
Citing data from the previous administration, Ribadu noted that 1,192 people were killed and over 3,348 kidnapped in Kaduna State, while more than 5,000 were killed in Benue State. In contrast, he said coordinated security efforts under the current administration have led to tangible progress.
“As at May 2025, security operations across the North-West have resulted in the release of 11,259 hostages,” Ribadu said, adding that several bandit leaders and their members have been neutralised in Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina states.
He also commended Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, for adopting a non-kinetic approach to tackling insecurity in Southern Kaduna, Birnin Gwari, and other conflict-prone areas.
The session brought together northern stakeholders to review the Tinubu administration’s performance, with particular focus on the region’s socio-economic and security challenges.
Attendees included Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; Governors Uba Sani (Kaduna) and Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe); ministers, service chiefs, and political office holders from across the region.
The Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation said the conference was aimed at critically evaluating the federal government’s responsiveness to Northern Nigeria’s developmental needs.
