Tinubu Holds Closed-Door Meeting with New Service Chiefs Amid Nationwide Security Concerns
The atmosphere around the Presidential Villa, Abuja, was tense yet expectant on Monday as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu met behind closed doors with Nigeria’s newly appointed service chiefs.
The meeting, which lasted several hours inside the Council Chamber of the State House, came barely three days after the President announced a sweeping shake-up of the nation’s military leadership — a move many analysts described as “decisive and politically strategic.”
Those in attendance were the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Kennedy Aneke; and Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye, who retained his position.
Though the session was held behind closed doors, sources close to the Presidency hinted that the discussions revolved around national security priorities — including tackling insurgency, curbing banditry, protecting oil installations, and enhancing inter-agency coordination.
A senior aide familiar with the deliberations disclosed that the President’s message to the new military heads was direct and uncompromising: “Nigeria cannot afford excuses. The time for results is now.”
The closed-door parley also came amid growing anxiety over the resurgence of terror attacks in the North-East and rising insecurity in the South-East and North-West regions. In recent weeks, social media has been awash with rumours of internal power struggles and military discontent, though the Presidency has repeatedly dismissed such reports as baseless.
Political observers, however, see Tinubu’s rapid military reshuffle and immediate briefing session as a move to reassert firm control over the nation’s security architecture.
“This meeting is not just procedural,” said Dr. Ijeoma Agbo, a security analyst based in Abuja. “It’s about resetting the tone — reminding the service chiefs that loyalty must come with performance, and that intelligence must drive operations, not politics.”
The President is said to have charged the chiefs to pursue a collaborative, intelligence-led strategy that strengthens coordination across the armed services and improves relations with civilian security agencies. He also emphasised the importance of protecting citizens’ lives and rebuilding public confidence in the military’s ability to deliver peace.
In his brief remarks to State House correspondents after the meeting, Chief of Defence Staff General Oluyede said the new team was “ready to work as one unified command under the leadership of Mr. President.”
> “We are fully aware of the expectations of Nigerians. The era of excuses is over. We are going back to the field immediately,” he said.
While details of the President’s directives remain undisclosed, insiders suggest a stronger focus on rapid response operations, advanced surveillance, and the deployment of new technologies in the fight against terrorism and organized crime.
The reshuffle and ensuing meeting mark one of the boldest security moves of Tinubu’s administration since taking office in May 2023 — a signal that he intends to align military leadership with his broader national security vision.