Three years ago this month, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Mallam Nuhu Ribadu as National Security Adviser. That June 2023 decision has reshaped Nigeria's entire security landscape.
Ribadu broke with decades of tradition. Military officers had always held the top security post until now.
His appointment signalled something different. A former police intelligence chief and EFCC chairman would lead Nigeria's fight against terror and banditry.
The strategy was clear from the start. Ribadu would bring precision, intelligence work, and financial crime expertise to a failing security architecture.
Results have followed quickly. Thousands of terrorists and bandits have been neutralised across multiple states in three years.
Crude oil theft in the Niger Delta has nearly disappeared. The renewed partnership with the United States has delivered significant victories.
One strike stood out above others. In May 2026, joint forces killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki in the Lake Chad Basin.
Al-Minuki held a position as ISIS's global second-in-command. He directed operations for the terrorist outfit before Nigerian and American forces eliminated him.
Operations became sharply more intelligence-driven under Ribadu's watch. Precision targeting replaced the old scattered approach.
Northwest bandit kingpins learned this lesson quickly. Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, and Kaduna saw their tormentors systematically hunted down.
Kachalla Halilu Sububu controlled Zamfara's criminal underworld until September 2024. Military operations killed him in a targeted strike.
Alti, known as the "TikTok bandit commander," met a similar fate. His kidnapping networks terrorised Northwest routes before he was killed in early 2026.
Dan Karami led raids across the region for years. Joint military forces eliminated him in April 2025.
Other Kachalla warlords fell in coordinated raids. Military teams dismantled camps in Shinkafi, Isa, and surrounding Zamfara areas.
The Northeast campaign proved equally consequential. ISWAP and Boko Haram networks faced relentless pressure from security forces.
Senior commanders fell regularly in Borno and Yobe States. Hundreds of fighters were captured or killed in sustained operations.
Ribadu's intelligence background shaped everything. Financial networks supporting terror groups became priority targets.
Criminal logistics chains were disrupted systematically. Cross-border terror alliances faced unprecedented pressure from coordinated forces.
Public records show over 13,000 terrorists and insurgents neutralised in three years. Associates of banned groups were arrested nationwide.
Inter-agency coordination improved dramatically under the new leadership. Police, military, and intelligence services worked as one.
International partnerships strengthened considerably. Nigeria's relationship with the United States deepened beyond previous levels.
Communities across affected regions have noticed the change. Fear has given way to cautious optimism in many areas.
Three years into Ribadu's tenure, Nigeria's security story reads differently. The nation's war on terror has entered a new phase.
