President Bola Tinubu on Friday sought to calm growing public anxiety over insecurity, assuring that sweeping changes underway in Nigeria’s security framework would soon translate into tangible improvements across the country.
The President gave the assurance while hosting a delegation of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, led by its President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, at his Lagos residence.
The meeting focused on national security, faith-based cooperation and the government’s engagement with religious bodies.
Speaking during the interaction, Tinubu said his administration remained firmly committed to overhauling the nation’s security sector, with particular emphasis on decentralised policing to confront evolving security threats.
“The mood of the nation is peaceful, although our ungoverned spaces are so large. The challenge is real, but we will surmount it,” the President said.
He stressed that plans for state and community policing were progressing and would be implemented once the National Assembly completed the necessary legislative processes.
“Community and State Police will be a reality once the National Assembly completes the required legislative inputs,” Tinubu said.
The President appealed to religious leaders to complement government efforts through cooperation, vigilance and sustained prayers, noting that some security initiatives required time before producing visible results.
“We are very religious. We are prayer warriors. We need your focus, vigilance and cooperation,” he said.
Tinubu also explained that delays in procuring military equipment had affected public perception of the government’s security response, describing such hardware as costly and difficult to source quickly.
“Military hardware is difficult to replace. It is expensive and not available off the shelf,” he said.
He disclosed that Nigeria had placed orders for four attack helicopters from the United States, adding that the government was also engaging Turkey to strengthen military capacity.
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“Our orders for four attack helicopters from the United States of America will take some time to arrive. We have approached Turkey for assistance,” the President said.
Despite the challenges posed by bandits and insurgents employing guerrilla tactics, Tinubu said the government remained resolute in restoring peace nationwide.
On the recent abduction and subsequent release of schoolchildren in Niger and Kebbi States, the President urged heightened vigilance, emphasising that the safety of the victims outweighed all other considerations.
“The rhetoric on how the children were released or what happened to the kidnappers is secondary; the end justifies the means,” he said.
In his response, Archbishop Okoh reaffirmed the Christian community’s support for Tinubu and his administration, describing it as a shared national responsibility.
“You are our President. The Church has no choice but to support you and your administration,” he said.
Okoh commended the government’s efforts to improve security, noting that the 2025 Christmas season stood out as particularly peaceful.
“This Christmas happened to be the first in many years that we were not woken up by midnight calls reporting attacks on churches,” he said.
He also praised Tinubu’s consistent engagement with religious leaders, saying it had helped rebuild trust between the Church and the government.
“Your commitment has closed the gap between the government and the Church. This has never happened before,” Okoh said.
The CAN President called for sustained engagement through CAN’s structures across the 774 local government areas and appealed for the release of funds to the Christian Pilgrims’ Board.
Other members of the delegation included the Vice President of CAN, Rev. Dr Stephen Panya Baba; President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Bishop Francis Wale Oke; and representatives of the Catholic, Methodist and African Instituted Churches.
NAN
