Abdulillahi Yakassai, senior special assistant to the president on community engagement (North-west), has revealed that Nigeria’s lingering security challenges are taking a personal toll on President Bola Tinubu, noting that the situation has left him sleepless night.
Yakassai disclosed this on Tuesday while addressing ongoing concerns about insecurity across parts of the country.
According to him, although some regions have seen a reduction in violent incidents, emerging threats and evolving tactics by armed groups continue to pose serious challenges.
“The security situation in some parts of the country has really been subdued, but there are some elements of new tactics coming up, like the one we see in Kwara State—very unfortunate.
“Even the president is having sleepless nights because every week you see him having a security council meeting in the Presidential Villa to see how to address this insecurity,” Yakassai said.
His remarks come amid growing criticism of the government’s handling of security, with many Nigerians expressing concern over fresh incidents in areas previously considered relatively stable.
Yakassai, however, defended the administration, arguing that the nature of the conflict has shifted, making it harder to combat.
He explained that insurgents have increasingly adopted guerrilla-style operations, complicating efforts by security agencies.
“It’s very hard to tackle. We have come from a long-time crisis, and it has been happening, and you can’t just blame this government for it,” he said.
“You wouldn’t know where they come from, and I’m telling you there is a hand in this kind of insecurity issue. We cannot just say it is a coordinated insecurity situation.
“There are some elements that are against this government that are instigating this kind of insecurity situation just to give the new government a bad name,” he added.
Highlighting progress in certain areas, Yakassai pointed to improved conditions along the Abuja–Kaduna road corridor and in Zamfara state, where he said incidents have reduced significantly in recent times.
“Some places where we know there was massive insecurity, like between Abuja and Kaduna, have really subsided. Now we don’t see that insecurity challenge in those areas, and then in Zamfara State, hardly do you hear these days that there is that insecurity.
“But they have changed tactics just because it’s guerrilla warfare, just like I said, and now they have moved away from those areas to Niger State, Kwara State, and immediately Mr President appointed the Inspector General of Police, his first point of call was to go to Kwara State and as far as Kaiama, where those things are happening.”
He maintained that despite the difficulties, the government remains committed to addressing the crisis and restoring stability nationwide.
“But we know a lot needs to be done to curb this insecurity, and I believe with time, by God’s grace, if all hands are put on deck, it will continue to come down till we get to eliminate the insecurity situation,” he added.
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