The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has said that had President Bola Tinubu’s not won the 2023 presidential election, the nation might have collapsed.
Speaking at the 50th anniversary celebration of the Nigerian Defence Academy 18th Regular Course in Abuja on Friday, Ribadu painted a stark picture of a country plagued by terrorism, banditry, and economic instability. However, he emphasised that significant progress has been made under the Tinubu administration.
He highlighted that, security forces have neutralised 13,543 terrorists in the North East and eliminated 120 bandit leaders in the North West and North Central, signalling a forceful response to the widespread violence that once threatened national unity and stability.
Also, he pointed out that in the Niger Delta, where unrest had crippled oil production, economic security has been significantly restored, stressing that oil output has risen from a perilous 1 million barrels per day (bpd) to 1.8 million bpd, bolstering national revenue and energy confidence.
The NSA added that over 50 police stations destroyed by the separatist movement have been rebuilt.
In his words, “When this administration took office on May 29, 2023, the security situation was threatening the very cohesion, stability, and integrity of our Nigerian state. We inherited five intractable security challenges that had brought our nation to the brink.
“Boko Haram, insurgency in the North East, had claimed over 35,000 lives. According to various credible conflict monitoring sources, the humanitarian crisis was staggering. With millions displaced and entire communities destroyed, lives were turned upside down. “Banditry, as it is in the North West, and of course, North Central, had become a concern as over 12,000 had been killed, one million displaced, over one million children were out of school by October 2021, and 1,192 people were killed, 3,340 kidnapped.
“The year 2022 witnessed high-profile attacks that shocked the nation’s confidence. The Kaduna train attack, the assault on the Guards Battalion troops here in Abuja, the Akure Catholic Church attack, and the Kuje Prison attack all occurred in 2023.
“Separatist agitations in the South East had reached alarming precautions. Between October 2020 and June 2021, IPOB/ESN attacked and destroyed 164 police stations, killed 128 policemen, injured 144 others and carried out over 30 prison attacks, including the Umuahia facility where 1,841 inmates escaped.
“Our operations in the North East have yielded remarkable results. 13,543-plus terrorists and criminals eliminated. 124,408-plus Boko Haram fighters and family members surrender, over 11,118 weapons recovered and destroyed. Over 252,596 rounds of assault ammunition recovered and destroyed, all recorded.
“In the Niger Delta, where we experienced economic insecurity, our comprehensive approach in the Niger Delta has transformed the region. Our oil production today rose to an average of 1.8 million from 1 million that we inherited.
“All oil pipelines, and I mean all, are now green operational. We have what we call green and red. When the products are flowing, it is green. When the pipelines are not working, it is red.
“We have had this for a continued time now for a couple of maybe close to one year, green. 47% dropped in fractions. 1,978 illegal refineries destroyed, 3,849 dug-out pits, and 3,773 illegal cooking ovens destroyed. Oil production will soon resume in Ogoni land after over 30 years of absence.
“In the Southeast, we are containing the separatist agitation through strategic operations and community engagements. Stay-at-home orders are becoming increasingly ineffective. Key Commanders of IPOB/ESN figures captured and neutralised.
“Over 50 police stations and many police formations rebuilt, and police forces back to work. Attacks on security forces significantly reduce social and economic activities, but are beginning to be normalised in the South East.”
