President Bola Tinubu is expected to hold a meeting with Nigeria’s top security officials following a wave of violent attacks in Plateau, Benue, and other parts of the country.
The meeting is set to take place following Tinubu’s return to Abuja on Monday night after spending over two weeks in Paris and London for official engagements.
According to the State House, his plane touched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at 9:50pm.
While the president was away, more than 120 people were reportedly killed in various attacks, mostly in rural areas.
Despite the presence of security forces, the violence has continued, with thousands displaced and several homes destroyed.
In Benue State alone, at least 56 people lost their lives in attacks on Logo and Gbagir communities. The attacks have been linked to armed herders.
Sources close to the presidency say Tinubu has been closely monitoring the situation and plans to meet with the service chiefs and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to discuss what steps to take next.
A government official confirmed to The PUNCH that the President’s upcoming meeting will focus on evaluating the recent violence and finding ways to strengthen the security response, especially in Plateau, Benue, and Borno States.
The official added that Tinubu had been receiving regular updates while abroad and had issued instructions to security heads during his trip.
“The President will certainly meet the service chiefs to review the security situation across the country and the flash point of Plateau, Benue and Borno.
“He has been getting security briefings while away and giving directives to the security chiefs. So, he will meet his security chiefs and ministers too,’’ he affirmed.
Meanwhile, the Presidency has criticized state governors for failing to properly fund local security outfits, despite receiving large allocations meant for that purpose.
This, it said, is part of the reason for the growing violence, especially in states like Plateau, Benue, and Enugu.
Daniel Bwala, the President’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, made this statement during a TV interview on Monday evening, pointing fingers at the governors’ poor handling of their security responsibilities.
KanyiDaily recalls that Christians in Plateau came together on Monday to stage a peace walk in protest of the continued killings affecting local communities.