President Bola Tinubu has identified the ongoing instability within the Sahel, specifically regarding Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, as a primary factor fueling Nigeria’s security crises. He expressed this viewpoint on Thursday during a meeting with the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Regarding the recent kidnapping of students and staff in Oriire, the president noted that the perpetrators demanded the release of detained associates alongside a monetary ransom. Tinubu emphasized that his administration refused to engage in negotiations with criminals. Following the murder of a teacher by the kidnappers, he stated that the government remained firm in its stance against them.
Highlighting the presence of foreign nationals among these criminal groups, Tinubu pointed to the volatile situation in neighboring Sahelian countries as a significant exacerbating factor for local violence. Consequently, he advocated for strengthening the forest guard forces and establishing state-level police departments to better manage internal security threats.
