“Tinubu Inherited an Extremely Bad Government” – NSA Ribadu Says Fixing Security Will Take Time

National Security Adviser (NSA) Mallam Nuhu Ribadu has said President Bola Tinubu inherited an “extremely bad government,” adding that fixing the country’s deep-rooted security issues will take time. Ribadu made the remarks during a security stakeholders’ meeting at the Benue State Government House in Makurdi, where he assured the people of government support in the face of ongoing violence and attacks.

While offering condolences over the recent killings in the state, Ribadu reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to ending the crisis. “We will defeat it. The entire country is with you,” he said. “This is a trying period for all of us, but we are 100 percent with you.”

He described Benue as a strategic state in Nigeria’s security structure and pledged intensified efforts to restore peace in the region. “Benue is an extremely important state to Nigeria. We must fight and maintain Benue as a peaceful state. The Governor is doing well and we will support him,” Ribadu said.

Acknowledging the limitations of the country’s security forces, Ribadu noted that it is not possible to deploy military and police officers to every community. However, he praised the armed forces for their ongoing efforts and urged citizens to support security initiatives rather than politicising the crisis. “Our armed forces are doing well. It’s impossible to post security to every hamlet. What we need is support and for people to stop politicising the killings. That will help us restore peace.”

Ribadu highlighted improvements under the current administration, contrasting them with the situation inherited from the previous government. “We inherited an extremely bad government. Things have improved. We’re addressing the issues. To do harm is easy, but to fix things takes time. We have considerably reduced the level of violence we met. This, too, we will confront.”

His visit follows growing concerns over renewed insecurity in Benue State and other regions, amid calls for more urgent and effective action from the federal government.