President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday held a nearly two-hour security meeting with the country’s service chiefs at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The meeting marked the first time the President would be holding a security session with the newly appointed Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, since he assumed office.
Security chiefs arrived at the Villa without their usual official vehicles, making identification difficult. They later left the premises around 5:10 p.m. after the closed-door discussions with the President.
The meeting comes amid growing security concerns across the country, particularly following the recent killing of several military commanding officers in different operational theatres.
In the past week, the Nigerian military reportedly lost at least three commanding officers in charge of forward operating bases after a surge in attacks on security formations and personnel, especially in the North-East.
Insurgents linked to Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province have intensified assaults on military positions in the region.
Among the recent incidents was an attack on Ngoshe which reportedly resulted in abductions. Other attacks were also recorded in Konduga, Marte, Jakana and Mainok, all located in Borno State.
The attacks had earlier drawn reactions from both President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, who vowed that the government would deploy overwhelming force to end the insurgency.
Speaking during an Iftar dinner with service chiefs on March 6, Tinubu assured the military of his administration’s determination to defeat terrorism.
“Nigeria will defeat terrorism despite these attacks. We will not bow to insurgents,” the President said.
The Thursday meeting also marked Disu’s first formal engagement with the President and other security chiefs since his appointment on February 28, 2026, following the resignation of his predecessor.
Although details of the discussions were not made public, sources indicated that the meeting likely focused on the recent spike in attacks on security personnel, the protection of vulnerable communities in the North-East and improved coordination among security agencies.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, President Tinubu on Thursday summoned the Director-General of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Olubunmi Kuku, to the Presidential Villa for the second time within a week.
The summons followed the President’s recent decision to suspend the cashless payment system at airport toll gates nationwide after widespread complaints about traffic congestion that caused many passengers to miss their flights.
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Earlier, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, announced after a Federal Executive Council meeting that the President ordered the suspension of the system.
According to Keyamo, Tinubu was concerned about the hardship experienced by travellers at airports in major cities such as Lagos and Abuja.
The President had directed the ministry to work with private sector partners to develop a more efficient payment system that would eliminate cash transactions without creating traffic gridlock.
Thursday’s meeting with the FAAN boss is believed to be part of ongoing discussions on introducing a hybrid system that allows both cash payments and prepaid cards while a more permanent solution is developed.
