Fed Gov’t Will Meet Every Violence With Force, Justice – Ribadu

For those perpetrating violence in Nigeria, they should be ready to face the federal government’s force and justice, the national security adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has warned.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protect all Nigerians irrespective of their religious beliefs.

Ribadu said Nigeria is a deeply plural society, and the protection of all citizens: Christians, Muslims and those of other beliefs, is “non-negotiable.”

He stated this yesterday at the United States (US)-Nigeria joint working group meeting in Abuja.

Ribadu said under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership, Nigeria had taken deliberate and decisive steps to confront insecurity.

He said, “Violence framed along religious lines is treated as an attack on the Nigerian state itself.”

He said the President has formally declared national security emergencies in vulnerable and high-risk areas, authorised intensified joint operations and directed the sustained deployment of security forces to priority locations, particularly those communities experiencing recurrent attacks on civilians and religious groups.

The NSA added that these directives have been matched with concrete action.

“Nigeria is expanding early-warning and rapid-response mechanisms, developing a national database to serve as a single, authoritative source of accurate and verifiable data on deaths and casualties arising from violence.

“This effort will strengthen evidence-based decision-making, accountability and the effectiveness of security responses,”.

“Parallel to this, investigations and prosecutions related to attacks on religious communities have been intensified to ensure that violence is met not only with force, but with justice and accountability,” he said.

He informed Nigerians that the partnership between Nigeria and the US is working, “it is delivering tangible gains and that our collective efforts will continue to yield positive gains,”.

Ribadu said Nigeria’s partnership with the United States extends well beyond security cooperation, encompassing democratic resilience, respect for the rule of law, regional stability in West Africa and a shared determination to prevent extremist and malign actors from exploiting governance gaps or social fractures.

In his remarks, the minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, said the partnership between Nigeria and the US in the fight against Boko Haram, Islamic State in West Africa (ISWAP) and other terrorist organisations in the country is beginning to yield positive results.

He noted that several terrorists have been killed as a result of the partnership.

“We want Nigerians to know that this partnership is working and yielding tangible gains, and to please bear with us, our efforts are and will yield positive gains,” he said.

He reiterated that the partnership has been helpful to U.S.–Nigeria cooperation in the military, intelligence, and security sectors, adding that it has translated into tangible results.

“This bilateral reflects not only our shared commitment to religious freedom and civilian protection, but also a mature strategic relationship grounded in trust, candour, and shared responsibility.

“The partnership has been useful with U.S.–Nigeria cooperating both militarily, intelligence and security,” he said.

The minister disclosed this while briefing the media after the inauguration of US-Nigeria Joint Working Group at the Office of the National Security Adviser in Abuja.