Tribute to a rare Commander-In-Chief, by Kola Amzat

On May 28, 2023, at the inauguration dinner and gala night, as if he had premonition of onerous task ahead of him, President Bola Tinubu intuitively declared to Nigerians….”We have corruption, insecurity and many problems confronting us….but don’t pity me. I asked for this job. I campaigned for it. No excuses”

“I will live up to expectation, I promise you” Tinubu said.

About two and half years after that historic and bold declaration, the president, admirably lived up to the promise he made to the Nigeria populace.

Monday, November 17, 2025 heralded a very disturbing and troubled week for the country, as a band of terrorists struck in Maga, Kebbi state, abducting 24 students of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary Schools in that obscure community, and proceeded to snuff life out of the Vice Principal of the school.

While the government and citizenry were still struggling to come to terms with the barbaric act, another terrifying and heart-rending news rocked the entire nation, that a widely acknowledged fearless and courageous top military brass, Brigadier General Uba Musa and two soldiers were ambushed and ultimately assassinated somewhere in Damboa, Borno State by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a militant jihadist group notorious for terrorism in the North East and North West of the Northern region.   

In quick succession, another terrorist group in commando style invaded a Christ Apostolic Church, Eruku, a sleepy community in Kwara state during their thanksgiving service, barbarically executed three brethren and abducted 38 faithful of the church.

As if the band of terrorist across the country were affirming to the government that they’ve indeed declared war on the country, another coordinated attack on Friday, November 21 completely overwhelmed St. Mary Catholic Secondary School located at Papiri in Niger state in James Bond fashion, ambushed and abducted 215 students, as well as 12 staff members.

Of course, the one week madness….Monday 17-Friday 21, 2025 that bandits and terrorists chose to terrorise innocent, defenceless and hapless citizens across the country was akin to declaration of war by the mindless and bloodthirsty goons of the entire nation.

No doubt, the coordinated and ruthless attacks were orchestrated with a premeditated agenda to rock the country to its foundation, create fear and panic amongst the populace in all the nooks and crannies, undermine trust and confidence of the citizenry of the capacity of government to provide security and most importantly, strengthening the resolve of the international community, particularly the hysteria, hate-filled and impulsive President Donald Trump that truly, all is not well with Nigeria.

Vividly, generality of Nigerians would recollect that it was the same template of terrorism deployed in the build up to the 2015 general elections, ostensibly to railroad the re-election of ex-president, Goodluck Jonathan, that was recycled in that one horrendous week.

But, it seemed that they met their match. The terrorists and their sponsors might have come to the realisation that they’ve misfired. This time, the bullets fired simply went astray. 

As much as they’d tried, their tactics and strategy to destabilise the nation has paled into insignificance.

There is a new Sheriff in town. This Sheriff is accustomed to all tricks and plots usually in force to unsettle the country at a time like this. He is well grounded in whatever the terrorists/bandits and their sponsors have in their armoury.      

Reminiscent of President Barack Obama who marshalled his national security team to sit in the Situation Room, at White House, monitoring that historic raid lead by SEAL Team on the compound housing Osama Bin Laden on May 01, 2011 until the then globally acclaimed terrorist was apprehended and neutralised, President Tinubu held the Bull by the horns, practically living to the billing of Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces, personally directing and commanding the Service Chiefs and their vibrant and courageous troops from the Villa, dishing out  command and orders aimed at neutralising and exterminating terrorists and bandits in all locations they were, as well as laying in ruins all their operational enclaves and abodes across the land.

Remarkably, the president opted to stay back at home despite key and strategic diplomatic meetings he’s earlier scheduled to attend in Johannesburg, South Africa for the G20 Summit, as well as AU-EU Summit in Luanda, Angola, a very important diplomatic session and platforms where Nigeria is expected to strengthen and re-emphasize diplomatic partnership and assert its global relevance and importance.

Instead, the president mandated Vice President, Kassim Shettima to attend those events.

In a stoic move, the president also directed the Minister of State (Defence) to relocate to Kebbi for the purpose of assuming the responsibility of rescuing the 24 abducted students of Maga’s Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary Schools.      

Remarkably, the strategic and tactical initiatives deployed have significantly paid off.         

24 school girls abducted in Maga secondary schools have regained their freedom.

38 eight worshippers abducted during the CAC thanksgiving service in Eruku, Kwara state have been released.

50 school children abducted at St. Mary Catholic Secondary School, Papiri, Niger state have escaped from the terrorists’ den, on account of coordinated and sporadic operation by the security team which bandits couldn’t withstand.

In a bid to completely wipe out the terrorists and bandits, the president has directed total security lock-down of the forests in Kwara, Zamfara, Kebbi states.

The Commander-in-Chief has ordered deployment of an Air Force team for 24/7 surveillance against the terrorists and bandits.

In a sweeping effort to ultimately degrade, extinct and silence the bandits and terrorists in all their locations, the president declared on November 26, 2025 nationwide security emergency, announcing the sweeping measures that includes major recruitment drives across the security agencies, as well as instant deployment of already trained personnel to high risk areas.

Tinubu also directed additional recruitment of 20,000 police officers, raising the total on-going recruitment project to 50,000 personnel.

In the same vein, the president also ordered the Nigerian Army to embark on large-scale recruitment exercises.

The Commander-in-Chief has equally approved temporary deployment of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Camps as training facilities to accelerate police preparation, following their earlier upgrades to existing police training schools.

To reemphasize that security matters are no longer business as usual, the president has approved that police officers withdrawn from VIPs protection assignment should undergo accelerated retraining programs and capacity building before being redeployed to troubled and volatile zones and regions.

On a related note, the president has directed the Department of State Services (DSS) to immediately deploy all trained forest guards to dislodge terrorists and bandits whichever forests they may be across the country.

DSS are equally mandated to recruit more personnel to further strengthen and fortify its operational networks.

The president urged the citizenry to remain vigilant and actively support security agencies in their onerous tasks of totally extinguishing the banditry and terrorism.

The ex-Lagos state governor re-affirmed federal authority support for state-backed outfits and, indeed, urged the National Assembly to review laws to enable states seeking to establish state police to proceed in doing so.         \

What the nation experienced during that week of intense terrorism and absurdity suggests a country contending with war orchestrated by internal destructive and disgruntled elements who are determined to rock the country to its foundation, whipping up sentiments capable of attracting the sympathy of unsuspecting and uninformed foreign countries, instigate religious chaos, as well as provoke general atmosphere of fear and trepidation.

But, the country is now under the watch of a discerning and very tactful president, with a rare gift of helicopter view, who throughout the one-week madness displayed unusual calmness and equanimity, and unwavering resolve to neutralise and water down the sporadic attacks coming from different directions, with top-notch and effective, as well as superior co-ordination of the security team.

While the agents of darkness might have wrongly opined that, that one week of their well-coordinated assault and attack on the nation might have brought the country to her knees and put leadership in disarray, contrary has been the case.

Rather, the dastard act has brought the best out of the president, capitalising on the confused atmosphere to showcase his skills of effective coordination and laying ambush to rout out terrorists and extinct them wherever they may be, and ultimately fortifying the territorial integrity of our dear country.

Finally, the president has promptly moved to approve Nigerian delegation for US–Nigeria Joint Working Group on Security, headed by National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, with other top officials of the government, as well as Security Chiefs, for the purpose of strengthening cooperation on security and related challenges with the United States government.

This move might have sounded a death knell to the evil machination of Nigerian enemies…within and outside, calling for the military invasion of the country by the United States Army.                                                      

Kola AMZAT (FCA, FCIB)

Lagos based Financial & Management Consultants,

09077509348.