Insecurity crisis is costing Tinubu sleepless nights – Aide

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North-West), Abdulillahi Yakassai has said Nigeria’s ongoing insecurity crisis is weighing heavily on Bola Ahmed Tinubu, revealing that the president is having “sleepless nights” over the situation.

Speaking on The Morning Brief on Channels Television, Yakassai said: “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.”

He acknowledged that while security has improved in some areas, new threats are emerging, particularly in Kwara State. Yakassai said: “The security situation in some parts of the country has really been subdued, but there are some elements of new tactics coming up… very unfortunate.”

According to him, the fight has become more difficult due to insurgents adopting guerrilla-style tactics. He explained: “It’s very hard to tackle… You wouldn’t know where they come from.” Yakassai also suggested that some actors may be deliberately fuelling instability to undermine the government.

He said: “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.” Despite the challenges, he pointed to improvements in previously high-risk areas such as routes between Abuja and Kaduna State, as well as in Zamfara State.

He said: “Some places where we know there was massive insecurity… have really subsided.” However, he noted that criminal elements have shifted operations to other regions, including Niger State and Kwara.

Yakassai added that the government remains committed to tackling insecurity, stating: “We know a lot needs to be done… and I believe with time… it will continue to come down till we get to eliminate the insecurity situation.”