Our top priority is making Nigeria safer — Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu on Monday said that the efforts of security forces in combating insecurity in the North-West are yielding results, noting that his administration’s top priority is ensuring a safer Nigeria.

The President made these remarks at the North-West Peace and Security Summit organised by the North-West Governors’ Forum in Katsina, the capital of Katsina State.

Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Tinubu assured Nigerians that the progress made so far is just the beginning, as the government is making further efforts to provide a more secure environment for all citizens.

The President also dismissed insinuations that insecurity in the North-West is a sectional agenda, arguing that whatever affects any part of the nation destabilises the entire country. He noted that the administration’s promise of securing Nigeria remains its priority since assuming office over a year ago.

He noted that the strategies employed by the government in fighting insecurity in the North-West have begun to yield results, adding that there will be no slowdown until the goal of totally dismantling insurgents is achieved.

Non-collaboration among security agencies has often been cited by security experts as a major hindrance in the fight against insecurity. However, President Tinubu disclosed that the government is making significant efforts to strengthen collaborations among security agencies to ensure a unified approach in the fight against insurgency.

He also stressed that guidelines such as standard operating procedures and rules of engagement are being adhered to in all approaches in the battle against insurgents.

The President added that the government is coordinating joint training exercises, inter-agency cooperation, communication, and information sharing among security agencies.

Dignitaries attending the security summit included former President Muhammadu Buhari, Sultan of Sokoto, Governor Dikko Radda, Minister of Defence Muhammad Badaru, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, host governor Umar Radda, and other North-West governors, among others.

Shettima, who read the President’s address, said:“Beyond the economic rationale that drove the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern parts of Nigeria, the formation of our great nation was inspired by the need for mutual protection.

“But, I ask, how can we achieve this sacred objective if one part is afflicted? We have long established that whatever ails any part of this federation destabilises the other. So, the issue of national security in the North-West is not a sectional agenda.

“The road to redeeming the security compromises we inherited was mapped out before we embarked on this journey. We realised that achieving the peace we seek necessitates addressing the historical injustices that have torn communities apart.

“We must also reverse the institutional frailties governing security and the economic dysfunctions that create vulnerabilities to crime. We must also counter the ideological mischief that has pervaded the discourse of peace and security in the region.

“The solution we seek is a region where every trade is safe, where every group is at peace and where the policing and military presence of the state is optimal.

“This disintegration, from cycles of clashes between herders and farmers, has ruptured the ideas of oneness upon which the North revolved. “This was followed by a regime of cattle rustling that set herders on a path of violence.

“Over the past decades, we have seen how these land-use disputes drove the farmer-herder conflicts, as climate change diminished our arable land and water resources, as the capacity of our security forces was overwhelmed, as unauthorised arms proliferated conflict zones, as corruption undermined our quest for solutions, and as criminal and insurgent elements exploited the complexity of our crisis to cross into our borders.

“What we are witnessing across the North is an explosion of these damaged relationships and we have come to say: enough is enough.
“Our first decision was to task our brothers from the North-West and the North-East with the defence and security of the region.

“Our military forces, through various operations such as Operation Hadin Kai and Operation Safe Haven, have made true their promise to the nation by targeting insurgent groups like Boko Haram and bandits who have held us ransom for too long.

“Through enhanced border security and intelligence capabilities, we have disrupted and dismantled criminal networks.

“To build pragmatic solutions to our security compromises, we are strengthening collaborations among the Services and other security agencies to ensure a unified approach.

“The kinetic and non-kinetic interventions we have pursued are designed to build the perimeter of our security infrastructure to the point that every child who goes to school returns safely, every person who sets out on a trip arrives at their destination securely, every trader who goes to the market conducts their transactions without fear, and every farmer plant seeds and harvests their produce in secure environments. We cannot achieve this unless we come together.”

The Chairman of the North-West Governors’ Forum and Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, earlier in his welcoming speech, noted that though the fight against insecurity is primarily a federal responsibility, there is a need for all to join hands and fight the scourge.

Radda further explained that “banditry has cast a shadow over our communities. It has disrupted lives, stifled economic activities, and instilled fear among our people. We cannot allow this menace to define our region.

“As leaders, we must adopt a multifaceted approach that includes robust intelligence gathering, community policing, and deploying advanced security technologies. Furthermore, we must enhance the capacity of our national security forces through continuous improvements and adequate resources.”

The UNDP representative in Nigeria, Elsie Gyekyeua Atafauh, in her address, also said the security and peace summit initiative was a vital step towards promoting development and deepening the foundation of peace in the Northern region of Nigeria.

“If Nigeria must retain the position of a giant of Africa, we must pay attention to the North-West,” she added.