June 26, 2026, marked the third anniversary of the appointment of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu as National Security Adviser (NSA) by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. In the three years since that pivotal decision, Nigeria has witnessed a profound shift in its approach to combating terrorism, insurgency, and banditry, one defined by intelligence-driven precision, inter-agency harmony, financial disruption of criminal networks, and a pragmatic restoration of international partnerships.
The results speak for themselves: thousands of terrorists and bandit elements neutralised, high-value leaders eliminated or captured across multiple states, the near-decimation of crude oil theft in the Niger Delta, and a reinvigorated Nigeria–United States security partnership that has already delivered historic blows against global terror networks.
President Tinubu broke the longstanding convention when he appointed Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, a distinguished former police intelligence officer and pioneer Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to head the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA). For decades, the position had been reserved almost exclusively for retired senior military officers.
