By Kayode Adebiyi, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

When President Bola Tinubu was sworn in two years ago, he made a firm commitment to prioritise security.

The president said security would be the top priority of his administration because neither prosperity nor justice could prevail amidst insecurity and violence.

“To effectively tackle this menace, we shall reform both our security doctrine and its architecture.

“We shall invest more in our security personnel, and this means more than an increase in number.

“We shall provide better training, equipment, pay, and firepower,” the president said.

Acknowledging that the fundamental responsibility of government is to protect the lives and property of its citizens, Tinubu’s administration activated critical measures towards upholding that responsibility.

National security also featured prominently in the president’s Renewed Hope Agenda, even before he became president.

According to the document, the president’s national security priorities are based on three major components: fighting terrorism and violent extremism, ending oil theft and illegal exploration of the country’s resources, and stamping out violent secessionist agitations.

Security experts say the persistent threats in Nigeria from groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) were exacerbated by banditry and kidnapping, from criminals affiliated with these terrorist groups.

They hold the view that multi-level and cross-border synergy is required to curb the menace of terrorism.

Recently, Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno said his administration was collaborating with the Federal Government to combat insurgency in the state.

“We made a plea to the Federal Government, and I believe within the last couple of days, the Nigerian Armed Forces have taken certain decisions that will curtail the insurgency.

“Some plans are underway by the Federal Government, especially the establishment of forest guards; that will be a game-changer.

“The president has given me assurance that they will do everything to control the situation, and I believe the Federal Government will do something.

Zulum said he would not relent in his effort to strengthen the resilience of communities and get volunteers to complement the efforts of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

“A few days ago I made a call that no local government shall be allowed to be taken over by Boko Haram or ISWAP members.

“So, I am calling on the Nigerian Armed Forces, the civilian authorities, and all those that are concerned to rise up to the occasion and defend our local government areas.

“I believe with the support of the Armed Forces, we will not leave a single local government to fall into the hands of the insurgents,”  Zulum said.

Worthy of mention, the Sahel, shared by 10 African countries, witnessed the highest number of terrorism-related deaths in 2022, underscoring the continent’s pivotal role in global counter-terrorism efforts.

According to the 2024 Global Terrorism Index, five out of the 10 most terrorised countries in the world – Burkina Faso, Mali, Somalia, Nigeria and Niger – are in Africa.

In 1994, Nigeria led the establishment of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) to tackle trans-border armed banditry around the Lake Chad Basin.

The scope and operations of the MNJTF were broadened in 2015 to lead a new regional force against cross-border terrorists.

Apart from terrorism and violent extremism, Nigeria also grapples with mass abduction and kidnapping for ransom.

A 2024 SBM Intelligence report said Nigeria witnessed at least 735 mass abductions with 15,398 people abducted since 2019.

The report said 2024 alone saw at least 68 mass abductions, averaging about one per day, with a victim count exceeding the entire years of 2019 and 2020 combined.

There is also the challenge of violent secessionist agitations, which equally pose a threat to national security.

However, some security experts say, that in the last two years, there have been significant policy and strategy shifts that have shown progress.

“In the last two years, more than 8000 criminals–bandits, armed robbers, Boko Haram terrorists, and kidnappers–have been eliminated, and more than 10,000 Nigerians, primarily women and children, have been rescued from their abductors,” the presidency recently said.

According to government sources, 124,408 fighters of Boko Haram and ISWAP, along with their family members, surrendered to Nigerian forces and are undergoing rehabilitation through the government’s de-radicalisation and reintegration programme.

Not long ago, Nigerian military said that two Boko Haram Improvised Explosive Device (IED) experts, Abubakar Mohammed and Bana Modu, surrendered to the troops of the joint force.

Worthy of attention, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, said a recent high-level African counter-terrorism summit hosted by Nigeria was aimed at bolstering regional cooperation and devising African-led solutions.

The NSA said Nigeria’s successes within two years point to the need for greater investment in human and technical resources.

He said efforts had been intensified under the current administration, with significant investments in cybersecurity and counter-terrorism activities.

He listed the creation of the National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre as part of the commitment to denying terrorist groups the use of Nigeria’s cyberspace.

The NSA also said in spite of past challenges in prosecuting terrorists, Nigeria is now strengthening law enforcement agencies and engaging communities through various programmes.

More so, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, announced at an event that 49 aircraft were expected within the next two years.

CAS also disclosed that in the past year alone, the NAF had flown an unprecedented 4,500 hours across 2,304 sorties, executing nearly 2,000 counterinsurgency missions.

In the area of economic security and protecting critical national infrastructure, the Nigerian Army recently announced that it shut down 19 illegal crude oil refineries in the Niger Delta region as part of nationwide efforts to curb petroleum theft.

Lt.-Col. Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, Ag. Deputy Director, 6 Division Army Public Relations, said the operation resulted in the seizure of around 589,000 liters of refined petroleum products and the arrest of 20 suspects.

“Operations against crude oil theft in the Niger Delta continue with recorded successes,” he said.

The Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Gbenga Komolafe, recently commended the government, stating that efforts to ramp up oil production have begun to yield significant results.

He said oil theft had reduced to as low as 5,000 barrels per day (bpd) at the end of the first quarter of 2024, from a high of up to 108,000 bpd in the first quarter of 2022.

“Whereas the production fluctuated around 1.5 million bpd, the sustained fight against oil theft has resulted in a steady increase in production; we were able to restore and sustain the production to 1.7 bpd.

“Efforts are ongoing to increase the production by one million bpd by December 2026,” Komolafe said.

On violent secessionist agitations, Ribadu recenlty explained to a gathering that insecurity in the South-East had reduced since Tinubu’s administration came on board, adding that it would get better.

He said that before Tinubu’s administration, 46 police stations were attacked in the region.

“Today, we do not have one single one; not a single person has been killed through violent attacks in the South-East.

“The leadership we have in our country does understand things a bit better; work more, talk less,” he said.

Though national security challenges persist, stakeholders are upbeat that by consolidating on the gains of the past two years, the multifaceted threats will be surmounted. (NANFeatures)

**If used, please credit the writer and the News Agency of Nigeria.