National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, says the sit-at-home orders enforced by secessionist groups in the South-East are gradually losing their effectiveness.
Ribadu made the disclosure on Thursday during a presentation at the All Progressives Congress (APC) national summit, where he provided an overview of the security achievements recorded under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
He noted that the administration inherited five major security challenges, including the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East, armed banditry in the North-West, secessionist agitations by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Eastern Security Network (ESN) in the South-East, unrest in the Niger Delta and communal as well as herder-farmer conflicts in the North-Central region.
According to Ribadu, coordinated efforts by security agencies have led to a reduction in violence and disruption across these regions, including a significant decline in the impact of sit-at-home directives in the South-East.
Providing specific figures, the NSA revealed that over 13,543 Boko Haram insurgents have been neutralised in the past two years, with more than 11,000 weapons recovered and destroyed. He added that 124,408 insurgents and their family members have surrendered to Nigerian forces since the beginning of the Tinubu administration.
Despite some ongoing challenges, Ribadu stated that military operations continue in key areas such as the Timbuktu Triangle and the Tumbu Islands.
“In the South-East, a welcome development is that the sit-at-home orders are becoming increasingly ineffective,” he 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.
“In the North-West, it has been a watershed year in the fight against banditry, with 11,250 hostages freed and a decline in mass abductions.
“Decisive blows have been dealt to top warlords such as Ali Kachalla, Boderi, Halilu Sububu, Dangote, Isuhu Yellow, and Damuna.”
