National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has said that insurgency, banditry, and communal violence have reduced significantly across northern Nigeria in the past two years under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Ribadu made this known on Tuesday while addressing northern leaders at a two-day interactive session organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation in Kaduna State.
He compared the current situation to what he described as the high level of violence under the previous administration. According to him, 1,192 people were killed and over 3,348 kidnapped in Kaduna State alone during the last administration, while more than 5,000 people were killed in Benue State within the same period.
The former EFCC chairman credited the progress to President Tinubu’s order for a more united and coordinated security approach across the country.
He revealed that as of May 2025, 11,259 kidnapped victims have been rescued from various parts of the North-West, with major bandit leaders and their gang members neutralised in Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina states.
Ribadu also praised Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State for introducing a “non-kinetic” approach — such as dialogue and community-based solutions to reduce violence in Southern Kaduna, Birnin Gwari, and other troubled areas.
Northern Nigeria has long faced threats from Boko Haram, armed bandits, and clashes between farming and herding communities. Security has remained a key concern for both state and federal governments.
