President Bola Tinubu on Monday evening held a closed-door meeting with the nation’s Service Chiefs at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja, amid heightened security challenges across the country.
The meeting, which commenced at about 6:01 pm, saw the security chiefs arrive at the villa’s forecourt before being ushered into the President’s office. It was Tinubu’s first engagement with the military high command since the swearing-in of retired General Christopher Musa as Minister of Defence on December 4, 2025.
Although the agenda of the meeting was not disclosed, it took place against the backdrop of growing security concerns, including the continued captivity of 115 students abducted from a Catholic boarding school in November, as well as the Senate’s recent approval for the deployment of Nigerian troops to Benin Republic following an attempted coup in the neighbouring country.
The engagement also coincided with intensified military operations against terrorist groups. On December 14, 2025, the Nigerian Air Force carried out precision air interdiction strikes at Dabar Masara, a known terrorist enclave in the Southern Tumbuns of Borno State.
The operation, conducted by the Air Component of Joint Task Force Operation HADIN KAI, targeted a terrorist workshop and several vehicles concealed under dense vegetation and identified as an active logistics hub. According to the Director of Public Relations and Information of the NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, post-strike assessments confirmed the destruction of the vehicles and the neutralisation of terrorist elements.
Ejodame said the intelligence-driven operation underscores the Air Force’s critical role in disrupting terrorist networks and strengthening security across the North-East.
The Southern Tumbuns, a vast marshland around Lake Chad, has long served as a hideout for terrorist groups. The military continues to sustain coordinated air and ground operations in the area to degrade insurgent capabilities.
Meanwhile, troops of the Joint Task Force Operation Enduring Peace recorded further successes in Kaduna and Plateau states. According to the JTF spokesman, Maj. Samson Zhakom, operations conducted between December 11 and 13, 2025, led to the neutralisation of several kidnappers and the rescue of abducted victims.
On December 11, troops carried out clearance operations in Dangoma and Godogodo villages in Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, neutralising three notorious kidnappers, while others escaped.
A day later, on December 12, a covert operation in Plateau State targeted a notorious kidnapper and gunrunner linked to multiple crimes in Bassa and Jos North LGAs. The suspect opened fire on troops but was swiftly neutralised. Items recovered included a pistol, ammunition, a dagger, a mobile phone, and cash.
On December 13, troops acted on intelligence regarding an imminent attack at Gidan-Saki village in Zangon Kataf LGA of Kaduna State, forcing the criminals to abandon their plan. The same day, an ambush operation in Jengre, Plateau State, following the abduction of four persons at Rimi village in Jere District, resulted in the rescue of all victims and the neutralisation of one kidnapper. An AK-47 rifle, a magazine, and 13 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition were recovered.
Major Zhakom reaffirmed the JTF’s commitment to sustaining pressure on criminal elements and ensuring the safety of residents in all operational areas.
