RismadarVoice Reporters
February 9, 2026
President Bola Tinubu on Monday described banditry and terrorism as alien to Nigeria’s culture and a major threat to the nation’s economy, vowing that his administration would intensify efforts to defeat the scourge.
The President spoke at the opening of a two-day National Economic Council (NEC) conference at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, where he assured state governors and other stakeholders of the Federal Government’s resolve to strengthen security agencies.
“To further find means to strengthen our security forces to defeat terrorism, combat banditry, that, I promise you, is what has kept all of us sleepless at night,” Tinubu said.
“But I assure you that we will win with determination and resilience.”
He stressed that insecurity remained unacceptable, noting that it undermines national development and economic growth.
“This banditry and terrorism are unacceptable. It is not part of our culture. It is foreign to us,” the President said.
“So it is an economic hindrance if we do not find an immediate solution to it.”
Tinubu’s remarks come amid renewed security concerns following recent deadly attacks in parts of the country. On February 3, gunmen attacked Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, killing scores of residents and displacing many others.
Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, had described the incident as a brutal and deliberate attack on innocent communities, with dozens injured and many residents forced to flee their homes.
On the same day, suspected bandits also carried out attacks in Doma communities of Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State, leaving several people dead and heightening fears over the collapse of a community-based peace arrangement in the area.
At the NEC conference, President Tinubu commended some state governments for their efforts in tackling insecurity, specifically praising the governors of Borno and Katsina states for what he described as their commitment to improving security in their domains.
