Understanding Ribadu’s dynamic approach towards nixing insecurity
By Mohammed Ismail
I’m an inveterate believer of the can do spirit of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Nigeria’s current National Security Adviser (NSA). Ribadu is one Nigerian whose patriotism, honesty, incorruptibility, courage and the unique understanding of the Nigerian security turf can never be challenged. Such unique traits made him one of the few Nigerians with the capacity to address Nigeria’s insecurity conundrum.
Although I have my reservations against some of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s policies, I nevertheless believed that in the appointment of Ribadu, the president was damned right.
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This is because any country that is hobbled by insecurity of the Nigerian hue is doomed eternally. In the appointment of Ribadu as NSA, Tinubu has picked one Nigerian who can deliver the goods with precision and remarkable aplomb. Therefore, the appointment of Ribadu as NSA is simply Tinubu’s masterstroke.
Ribadu is one Nigerian who comes to the job with the finesse, refinement, and the discipline required to resolve the Frankensteins monster of insecurity that is threatening to completely decimate Nigeria to smithereens.
When Ribadu assumed office, Nigeria was almost at a tipping point with all sort of criminal gangs holding the country by the jugular. But in carrying out his assigned task, Ribadu decided to be different. Had Ribadu treaded the same path with his predecessors I would have been eternally disappointed.
Changing the modus operandi gave me the hope that a Messiah has finally arrived because one cannot be doing the same thing and expect different outcomes. Nigeria’s insecurity is itself a manifestation of a cornucopia of labyrinthine factors including corruption, poverty, illiteracy, internal sabotage, international conspiracy et all.
But research has shown that the major drivers of social insecurity in Nigeria are the twin and hydra headed scourges of corruption and poverty. Corruption is the underlying factor behind the failure of past administrations to nip the monster of social insecurity in the bud. That is why despite spending trillions, the menace of insecurity continues to fester defying solutions.
The alleged withdrawal of $2.1 billion by the Jonathan administration ostensibly to fight insecurity which ended as slush campaign funds for the prosecution of the second term ambition of the president is a reference point in time.
Critics of Ribadu’s unique approach in fighting insecurity have variously posited that the war against insecurity should be fought silently because of the myths that heads of security outfits must maintain sealed lips.
My response to those who harbour this mindset is that there is no place in our constitution in which NSA is prevented from highlighting the success of the war against violent crimes or attempts to bolster accountability and public debates around the so called ‘security matters.’
I want to say with a deep sense of responsibility that the culture of silence around security matters is rooted in corruption.
That culture which insulated security procurements and dealings from scrutiny is at the root of the intractable security malaise dogging Nigeria. Through the opaque system, trillions of tax payers funds at the federal and state levels have been frittered with impunity while Nigerians on daily basis continue to bear the brunt of insecurity as hardened criminals continue to hold sway.
In democratic spaces, the culture of silence is synonymous with failure. The silence of past administrations to amplify their success was a major indictment and a manifestation of their grand failure. And that failure resulted in the unceasing and remorseless activities of outlaws all over Nigeria.
Ribadu, a no nonsense anti-graft czar with zero tolerance against any form of corruption has been making a bold statement since his appointment in 2023 by sanitizing the security architecture and demystifying the old order of opaqueness and corruption around security matters.
Although the Nigerian insecurity conundrum is complex and multidimensional, Ribadu has recorded phenomenal and glaring successes since his appointment although there is room for more improvement as new threats unfold.
I have eternal believe that Ribadu’s tenure will be marked with landmark successes and trajectories similar to the feats he attained when he pioneered the leadership of Africa’s foremost anti-graft body EFCC from obscurity to international limelight.
Ribadu’s success in his anti-graft crusade was a function of his cooperation and synergy with the mass media which played a pivotal role in countering false narratives being hoisted by powerful corrupt forces leading to the phenomenal success of the fight against corruption.
While holding sway, Ribadu was bold, courageous and always forthright in revealing massive corruption and the infamous faces behind them. Such drive and energy was behind his success at the anti-graft commission. Ribadu’s model in using the media has proven instrumental to the success of the war against corruption and it will also prove to be pivotal in the success of his current assignment.
Fighting social insecurity requires strategic synergy, partnerships, intelligence sharing and accountability in which the media plays an important role. So working with the media is a critical thinking.
Through such unique approach Nigerians are on daily basis fed with information about the landmark successes recorded by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
In the last two years, Ribadu’s coordinated strategy has led to the release of over 4,600 hostages the neutralization of more than 9,000 terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers, and the arrest of over 7,000 suspects, with vast weapon recoveries.
In other accounts, Ribadu is credited with neutralizing over 13,000 hardened terrorists and bandit kingpins, apprehending 11,000+ criminals, and freeing thousands more hostages, and tightens security along vital corridors like the Abuja–Kaduna – Kano highway and Birnin Gwari forests.
Further reports cite the death or surrender of 124,408 Boko Haram/ISWAP fighters and the rescue of 6,376 kidnapped victims in 2024 alone.
In the Niger Delta, Ribadu’s interventions helped boost crude oil output by about 500,000 barrels per day
In the Southeast, more than 40 destroyed police stations have been rebuilt and reactivated, restoring law enforcement presence.
His efforts to secure highways and rail lines notably improved safety on previously vulnerable routes. Ribadu’s remarkable feats led to the elimination of key insurgent leaders, including Abubakar Mainok, Haruna Isiya Boderi, Kachallah Damina and others involved in attacks along the Abuja–Kaduna axis.
In the Northwest, coordinated strikes also eliminated notorious figures like Halilu Sububu and Dangote, and dismantled other non-state militias.
In his drive to ensure enhanced intelligence gathering and sharing, Ribadu has revitalized key security institutions — including the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), National Cybersecurity Coordination Center (NCCC), and the National Centre for Small Arms & Light Weapons (NCCSALW).
Such move has led to improved intelligence sharing and collaboration among military, police, DSS, immigration, local vigilante groups, and regional security stakeholders.
Under his watch, Nigeria hosted the UK–Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership Dialogue and held a UN-backed Counter-Terrorism Summit with over 400 foreign delegates in attendance. He also convened a meeting with Northern governors and security chiefs focused on shifting from territorial control to strategic influence and public trust-building.
Ribadu also formed a partnership with UNDP and the German Embassy to advance police reform initiatives. He also Emphasized a carrot-and-stick” mode in which military operations were interspersed with dialogue, community reconciliation, and development.
It is therefore, laughable for any right thinking man to say these laudable efforts should be kept in the archives because they are simply security matters
Ismail is the Editor-in-chief of FACTCHECKNEWS.
