TINUBU MEETS SERVICE CHIEFS AMID RISING INSECURITY, SUMMONS FAAN DG AGAIN

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday held a nearly two-hour security meeting with service chiefs at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, marking the first such gathering since Tunji Disu assumed office as the new Inspector-General of Police.

The closed-door meeting, which took place in Abuja, lasted for about two hours, with security chiefs arriving at the Villa without their usual official vehicles, making identification difficult. They were later identified as they departed the forecourt at about 5:10 pm after extensive deliberations with the President.

The meeting comes amid growing security concerns across the country, particularly following recent killings of military commanders in various theatres of operation.

Within the past week, the Nigerian military reportedly lost at least three commanding officers leading forward operating bases after a surge in attacks on security formations and personnel, especially in the North-East where Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgents have intensified assaults on military positions.

Among the recent incidents was an attack on Ngoshe in Borno State, which led to several abductions. Other attacks were reported in Konduga, Marte, Jakana and Mainok, all within the same state.

The spate of attacks prompted assurances from both President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima that the Federal Government would intensify military operations to end the insurgency.

Speaking earlier at an Iftar dinner with service chiefs on March 6, Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s determination to defeat terrorism.

“Nigeria will defeat terrorism despite these attacks. We will not bow to insurgents,” the President had said.

Similarly, Shettima, in a statement issued by his spokesman Stanley Nkwocha, said the government would deploy overwhelming force to bring the insurgency to an end.

Thursday’s meeting was also the first formal engagement between the President, the service chiefs and Disu since his appointment as Inspector-General of Police on February 28, 2026, following the resignation of his predecessor.

Although details of the discussions were not immediately disclosed, sources indicated the meeting likely focused on the recent surge in attacks on security personnel, the protection of vulnerable communities in the North-East and improved coordination among security agencies.

In a related development, President Tinubu also summoned the Director-General of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Olubunmi Kuku, to the Presidential Villa for the second time in one week.

The FAAN boss was seen entering the Villa premises while the security meeting was still in progress on Thursday afternoon.

The summons comes barely a week after the President ordered the suspension of the cashless payment system at airport toll gates nationwide, following widespread gridlock that caused passengers to miss flights.

Earlier, on March 5, Kuku had met with the President hours after the suspension was announced, arriving at the Villa alongside the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had disclosed after a meeting of the Federal Executive Council that the President directed the immediate suspension of the system due to complaints about severe traffic congestion at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

According to Keyamo, the President acted out of concern for travellers who were missing flights due to the delays.

Tinubu subsequently directed the aviation ministry to engage private sector stakeholders in developing a more efficient payment system that eliminates cash transactions without creating gridlock.

Thursday’s meeting with the FAAN boss is believed to be part of efforts to review progress toward implementing a hybrid payment system, which would allow both cash payments and prepaid cards while a permanent solution is developed.

FAAN, as the operator of toll gates and revenue collection points at airports nationwide, is expected to play a central role in implementing the revised payment system.

The suspended cashless system had been introduced to replace a cash-based toll collection practice that had operated for more than 50 years, which authorities said was prone to fraud and under-remittance of government revenue.

As of the time of filing this report, the FAAN Director-General was still in the President’s office at the Presidential Villa.