By Kazeem Ugbodaga
President Bola Tinubu has summoned an emergency closed-door meeting with service chiefs and other top security officials in response to the worsening security situation across the country.
The high-level meeting, which commenced around 3:00 p.m. at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, includes the National Security Adviser, Inspector General of Police, Chief of Defence Staff, and other service chiefs.
Tinubu’s decision comes shortly after his return from an 18-day working visit to France and a brief stopover in London. During his absence, Nigeria witnessed a disturbing escalation in violence.
In Plateau State, over 80 lives were lost in renewed communal clashes, while more than 50 people were reportedly killed in separate attacks in Benue State.
In Borno, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum raised alarm over a deteriorating security landscape, warning that several communities are once again falling under the control of Boko Haram insurgents.
Speaking at a Special Expanded Security Meeting in Maiduguri on Tuesday, Zulum expressed deep concern over repeated attacks on towns such as Wajirko, Sabon Gari in Damboa LGA, Wulgo in Gamboru Ngala, and Izge in Gwoza LGA. He noted that military formations in some of these areas had been overrun.
While acknowledging the relative peace achieved in the past three years due to the federal government’s support, Zulum said the recent developments represent a dangerous setback for Borno and the wider North-East region.
The president’s emergency meeting is aimed at reassessing the nation’s security strategies and crafting a more effective response to the threats plaguing various parts of the country.
