NSA Ribadu urges terrorists, bandits to surrender as FG records ‘notable gains’ against insecurity

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has urged terrorists and bandits operating in northern Nigeria to cease hostilities and surrender peacefully, declaring that the era of unchecked violence must come to an end.

Speaking in an interview with the BBC, Ribadu highlighted what he described as “significant progress” under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in curbing insecurity across the country.

“We believe the time has come for these terrorists to stop and lay down their arms,” Ribadu said.

He noted that while isolated incidents of violence still occur, the current administration has succeeded in halting the kind of large-scale terrorist attacks that previously plagued the nation.

“In the past, terrorists attacked prisons, trains, and even military camps,” Ribadu stated. “But since this government came into power, those types of high-profile attacks have stopped—apart from incidents in Borno.”

Ribadu added that security forces have neutralised over 300 high-ranking bandit leaders, and he credited ongoing military operations for restoring access to previously dangerous areas.

“Now, many people have returned to their farms, and regions once overrun by criminal elements are now safe again,” he said.

Despite these claims, insecurity remains a serious concern in several states, including Plateau, Benue, and Katsina, where communities continue to suffer from violent attacks by armed groups.

In a recent video circulating online, displaced persons — including women and children — from northern communities pleaded with the federal government to rescue them from the grip of bandits.

Ribadu maintained that the federal government remains committed to ending insecurity and restoring peace across all troubled regions.