Tinubu has directed security agencies to rescue all kidnapped victims, dismantle terrorist camps across Nigeria and ensure a safe environment for the 2027 general elections.
The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa (retd.), disclosed this on Thursday while briefing State House correspondents after a security meeting chaired by Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Musa said the meeting focused on the country’s security situation ahead of the January 2027 elections, adding that all service chiefs and heads of security agencies were directed to intensify efforts to rescue abducted persons and eliminate terrorist camps.
“The directive from the President is: all of us must go all out to fish out and rescue all those that have been abducted, kidnapped, wherever they are.
“There shouldn’t be any camp of any terrorists or bandits anywhere in Nigeria,” he said.
The minister also said Tinubu had directed security agencies to guarantee a free, fair and credible election, assuring political parties that security personnel would remain neutral and prevent intimidation during the polls.
Musa rejected allegations that underage persons were being recruited into the military, explaining that concerns centered on terrorists using children in their operations.
He also disclosed that the Federal Government was strengthening the security forces through recruitment, training and the acquisition of military equipment. According to him, Tinubu would soon inaugurate about 10 newly acquired aircraft and helicopters.
The minister urged Nigerians to support security agencies and report misconduct by personnel, stressing that security was a collective responsibility.
Meanwhile, sources familiar with Thursday’s meeting said Tinubu had ordered the deployment of forest guards to territories reclaimed from terrorists to prevent them from returning after military operations.
One official explained that while the military cleared occupied areas, it could not remain permanently in those locations, leaving some vulnerable to reoccupation by insurgents. However, the official did not disclose the number of guards to be deployed or the timeline for the operation.
The meeting also considered the proposed designation of electricity infrastructure as critical national assets following repeated cases of vandalism. An official said the designation would enable the government to take appropriate measures to protect power facilities.
Another source disclosed that the meeting reviewed the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa, with Tinubu directing officials to consider possible restrictions needed to protect Nigerians.
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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention had reported no confirmed Ebola case in Nigeria as of the date referenced in the report.
The meeting was attended by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; the Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Gaidam; the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle; and the service chiefs, alongside the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, and heads of intelligence agencies.
Nigeria’s presidential election is scheduled for January 16, 2027.
