Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, says President Bola Tinubu has placed the country’s security architecture on its “highest alert”, following attacks by terrorists in Kebbi and Kwara States.
Idris spoke in Abuja on Wednesday, while addressing a press conference on the recent spate of terrorist attacks.
Idris said the president sympathised with families affected by the recent killings, abductions and other acts of criminality across the country.
He said Tinubu had ordered the military, police and intelligence agencies to “actively pursue and eliminate terrorists, bandits and criminal elements wherever they may be”.
The minister added that the president had also directed security forces to ensure the swift rescue of the abducted schoolgirls in Kebbi.
He described the killing of a senior army general, the abduction of students in Kebbi, and the attack on a church in Kwara as “painful reminders of the threats confronting the nation”.
He said the latest incidents had strengthened the government’s resolve to defeat terrorism and banditry, noting that Tinubu had postponed his scheduled international engagements, including the G20 meeting in South Africa, to focus on domestic security.
He added that additional military and police deployments had been approved for the Eruku community and other parts of Ekiti LGA in Kwara.
Idris said Vice-President Kashim Shettima was in Birnin Kebbi at the president’s directive, holding meetings with the governor, security chiefs, traditional rulers and relatives of the abducted students.
He said Tinubu had instructed all security agencies to “neutralise and dismantle” terrorist networks nationwide.
The minister also dismissed attempts to frame the security situation in religious terms.
He said the federal government “categorically refutes any sectarian interpretation”, adding that terrorism and banditry had affected citizens of all faiths.
“In this critical moment, national unity is our most powerful asset,” he said.
He said Nigeria remained a multi-faith country where freedom of worship is constitutionally protected, urging citizens to support security agencies and stand together against misinformation and division.
He expressed confidence that ongoing operations would lead to the rescue of the abducted schoolgirls and the restoration of peace in affected communities.
Earlier, George Akume, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), said recent statements by US President Donald Trump concerning the security situation in Nigeria have emboldened violent groups seeking to exploit international narratives to launch fresh attacks across the country.
Trump recently tagged Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” and accused the federal government of turning a blind eye to attacks on Christians.
