President Bola Tinubu is currently meeting behind closed doors with the nation’s service chiefs and heads of key security agencies at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, amid heightened national security concerns.
The security chiefs were seen arriving at the Villa’s forecourt at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, then filing into the President’s office complex for what sources describe as an urgent strategic briefing.
Tuesday’s meeting comes less than three hours after President Tinubu nominated the former Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa (rtd.), as the new Minister of Defence. His nomination followed the sudden resignation of the immediate past Defence Minister, Abubakar Badaru, who stepped down late Monday night. Musa’s presence at the Villa on Monday had fuelled speculation ahead of the announcement.
Leading the delegation of security heads is the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede. Also attending are the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General W. Shaibu; the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Sunday Aneke; and the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral I. Abbas.
Other top security figures present include the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lieutenant General Akomaye Undiandeye; the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Oluwatosin Ajayi; and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
The meeting follows President Tinubu’s declaration of a nationwide security emergency last Wednesday in response to a disturbing rise in kidnappings and violent attacks across several states. The President had unveiled new measures aimed at strengthening internal security, including:
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Recruitment of 20,000 additional police officers
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Deployment of forest guards to identified hotspots
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Enhanced protection for schools, churches and mosques in high-risk areas
While the service chiefs were in session, the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, was also sighted arriving at the Villa. Clad in grey traditional attire and carrying a folder of documents, Otti’s purpose at the Presidency was unclear at the time of filing this report. It has not yet been confirmed whether he is participating in the security meeting or attending to separate matters.
Governor Otti recently made headlines after visiting the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, at the Sokoto Correctional Centre.
As of press time, details of the discussions inside the Villa remain undisclosed.
