President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Monday tasked stakeholders across the North-central region to strengthen collaboration with government and security agencies, tackle insecurity and build lasting peace.
Tinubu gave the charge Monday at the 2026 North-Central Regional Security Summit held in Makurdi, Benue state and was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.
The president said no single security agency, tier of government or community could secure the region, urging stakeholders to overcome rivalry, duplication of efforts and poor intelligence sharing.
He called on traditional and religious leaders to strengthen early-warning mechanisms and serve as trusted voices for reconciliation in their communities.
Tinubu also urged residents to provide timely intelligence to security agencies and stop shielding criminals because of kinship or sentiment.
He cautioned that military action alone could not deliver sustainable peace, stating the need to address the social, economic and environmental factors driving conflicts.
The president identified competition over land and water, climate change, desertification, unresolved land-use issues, weak local dispute-resolution mechanisms and the proliferation of illicit weapons as major drivers of insecurity.
He said the federal government would combine kinetic operations with developmental interventions, including modern livestock production, irrigation, mechanised agriculture, rural roads and access to credit.
Tinubu also directed the Defence Minister to transmit the summit’s outcomes to him and ensure that the recommendations have clear responsibilities, timelines and measurable results, saying the ultimate goal was to restore peace and enable displaced persons to return home.
Defence Minister, General Christopher Musa (retd.) said the federal government was committed to improving security, adding that the Armed Forces could not tackle insecurity alone.
