National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu has said that the influence of sit-at-home orders issued by terrorist groups in Nigeria’s Southeast is waning, citing recent security gains under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Ribadu made the statement during a presentation at the All Progressives Congress (APC) national summit, where he reviewed the government’s efforts to tackle insecurity nationwide.
He outlined five key security challenges inherited by the administration: the Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast, armed banditry in the Northwest, separatist agitations by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Eastern Security Network (ESN) in the Southeast, unrest in the Niger Delta, and persistent communal and herder-farmer clashes in the North-Central region.
Ribadu reported that security agencies have recorded progress in addressing these threats, including a reduction in mass killings, kidnappings, and attacks by armed groups across the country.
He stated that more than 13,543 Boko Haram insurgents have been killed in the past two years, with over 11,000 weapons recovered and destroyed. Additionally, 124,408 Boko Haram fighters and their family members have surrendered to government forces since President Tinubu took office.
Military operations, he added, remain active in areas such as the Timbuktu Triangle and the Tumbu Islands, where some insurgent strongholds are located.
“In the Southeast, a welcome development is that the sit-at-home orders are becoming increasingly ineffective,” Ribadu said. “Key IPOB/ESN figures have been captured or neutralised. Over 50 police stations and numerous police posts have been rebuilt. Attacks on security forces have significantly reduced, and social and economic activities are normalising.”
He also noted progress in the North-West, where he described the past year as a turning point in the fight against banditry. According to him, 11,250 hostages have been rescued, and mass abductions have declined.
“Decisive blows have been dealt to top warlords such as Ali Kachalla, Boderi, Halilu Sububu, Dangote, Isuhu Yellow, and Damuna,” Ribadu added.
