President Bola Tinubu on Thursday convened a nearly two-hour emergency security meeting with all service chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police at the Presidential Villa, Abuja — marking the first formal security gathering since the newly appointed IGP Tunji Disu assumed office on February 28, 2026.
The high-level closed-door meeting, which took place amid a dramatic surge in attacks on military personnel and communities across Nigeria, comes just three days after Defence Minister Christopher Musa ordered an urgent operational overhaul of the Nigerian Armed Forces following the killing of three commanding officers in Borno State.
Service Chiefs Arrive Without Official Vehicles
In what observers described as an unusual show of discretion, the Punch correspondent at the Presidential Villa reported that the service chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police arrived at the Villa without their official vehicles, making identification of the senior officers difficult. They were only identified by the Punch correspondent as they departed the forecourt following the meeting.
The security chiefs departed the Presidential Villa at approximately 5:10pm after extensive deliberations with the President. No official statement had been released on the content of the discussions as of the time of filing this report. However, Punch understands the meeting was focused on the recent surge in attacks on military formations, the killing of commanding officers in the North-East, and strategies for improved coordination among Nigeria's security agencies.
First Meeting With New IGP Tunji Disu
Thursday's security session is the first formal engagement between President Tinubu and the service chiefs since Olatunji Disu was sworn in as substantive Inspector-General of Police. Disu was appointed acting IGP on February 28, 2026, following the controversial resignation of his predecessor, Kayode Egbetokun. He was confirmed as substantive IGP by the Nigeria Police Council on March 2, 2026, and sworn in by President Tinubu at the Council Chambers, State House, Abuja.
Disu, 59, is a Lagos-born police officer who joined the Nigeria Police Force in 1992. He previously served as head of the Lagos Rapid Response Squad (RRS) from 2015 to 2021, where he won the Best Anti-Crime Squad award in West Africa in 2016. He also headed the Intelligence Response Team, previously led by the disgraced Abba Kyari, and served as Commissioner of Police in both Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory.
Egbetokun's resignation came amid reports that he was asked to step down over his resistance to President Tinubu's directive to withdraw police officers from VIP protection duties, his opposition to state policing, and alleged vindictive conduct toward colleagues. Egbetokun officially cited "family issues" in his resignation letter.
Tinubu's Earlier Vow: "Nigeria Will Not Bow To Insurgents
The emergency security meeting is not the first signal Tinubu has sent to the military this week. During an Iftar dinner with service chiefs on March 6, 2026, President Tinubu had personally assured the military of his administration's commitment to defeating terrorism despite the wave of attacks in Borno State.
At that dinner, Tinubu declared: "Nigeria will defeat terrorism despite these attacks. We will not bow to insurgents." Vice President Kashim Shettima, in a statement signed by his spokesman Stanley Nkwocha, added that the administration would end the insurgency with "overwhelming force."
Thursday's security summit appears to be the formal follow-up to those pledges, translating words into a structured operational response with Nigeria's top military and police leadership in the same room.
The Security Crisis That Forced The Meeting
The emergency meeting comes in the wake of one of the most devastating weeks for the Nigerian military in recent memory. ISWAP — the Islamic State West Africa Province — launched coordinated attacks on several communities in Borno State last week, with the most intense fighting recorded in Kukawa Local Government Area.
The attack on Kukawa lasted a full 24 hours before the military could fully repel the insurgents. In the same week, communities in Doro, Mafa, Baga, and Konduga were also targeted. The human cost was staggering — three commanding officers, all ranked Lieutenant Colonel and in charge of forward operating bases, were killed in the attacks. Senior officers of this rank rarely die in the field, and the loss of three in a single week sent shockwaves through the military establishment.
Defence Minister Christopher Musa responded on Wednesday by convening an emergency meeting with all four service chiefs and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA). The National Assembly also responded — the Senate observed a one-minute silence for the fallen soldiers on Thursday, following a motion by Senator Tahir Monguno.
Despite the setbacks, the Nigerian Air Force recorded a significant counter-insurgency success in the same week, killing more than 50 terrorists in airstrikes on Ngoshe and Gwoza in Borno State.
FAAN DG Also Summoned — Cashless Airport Crisis Continues
In a separate but related development, President Tinubu on Thursday also summoned the Director-General of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Dr Olubunmi Kuku, to the Presidential Villa — for the second time in one week.
A Punch correspondent spotted the FAAN DG entering the Villa premises while the security meeting with service chiefs was still in session on Thursday afternoon. This latest summons comes barely a week after the President suspended the cashless payment system at airport toll gates nationwide, following widespread gridlock that caused passengers to miss flights at Lagos and Abuja airports.
On March 5, Kuku had met with the President just hours after the suspension was announced. The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had earlier announced that President Tinubu directed the immediate suspension of the cashless system following the public outcry. The details of Thursday's follow-up meeting between Tinubu and the FAAN DG were not immediately disclosed.
What Comes Next
Security analysts say the combination of Thursday's summit, Wednesday's operational overhaul directive, and the earlier Iftar pledge suggests that the Tinubu administration is preparing a more aggressive and coordinated counter-insurgency push in the North-East ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Nigerians and security observers will be watching closely in the days ahead for any major operational announcement from the Defence Ministry or the Office of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, who has been central to Nigeria's security architecture under Tinubu.
In Pidgin: Tinubu Call Emergency Security Meeting With Army, Navy, Airforce And New IGP
President Tinubu don gather all im top security officers for one big meeting for Aso Rock on Thursday. The meeting wey last nearly two hours na the first one since new Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu take over the job for February 28, 2026.
The service chiefs come to Aso Rock quietly — no official cars, no fanfare — and dem only dey identified as dem dey leave after the meeting. Government no release any official statement about wetin dem discuss, but sources say the meeting focus on the wave of terrorist attacks wey don kill three commanding officers for Borno State last week.
Just days before this meeting, Defence Minister Christopher Musa don already order urgent changes to how the military dey operate after ISWAP attack Kukawa, Borno for 24 hours straight. The Senate also observe one minute silence for the soldiers wey die.
Tinubu himself don already promise say Nigeria no go surrender to terrorists — now e don call im top military and police officers together to back up those words with action.
Source: Punch Nigeria
