The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North-West), Abdullahi Yakassai, has disclosed that Nigeria’s worsening security situation is taking a toll on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, revealing that the president is not sleeping well.
Yakassai made this known on Tuesday during an interview on The Morning Brief aired by Channels Television.
According to him, although security has improved in some areas, emerging tactics by criminal elements are posing fresh challenges.
“The security situation in some parts of the country has really been subdued, but there are new tactics emerging, like what we are seeing in Kwara State, which is very unfortunate,” he said.
Yakassai added that the president has been holding frequent Security Council meetings at the Presidential Villa in response to the development.
“Even the president is having sleepless nights because every week you see him holding a Security Council meeting to address this insecurity,” he stated.
His comments come amid growing concerns over rising cases of banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes, especially in the northern part of the country.
The presidential aide noted that the fight against insecurity has become more complex due to the adoption of guerrilla-style operations by criminal groups.
“It is very hard to tackle. This crisis has been ongoing for a long time, and you cannot just blame this government alone,” he said.
Yakassai further alleged that certain elements are deliberately fueling insecurity to discredit the current administration.
“There is a hand behind this kind of insecurity. Some elements are against this government and are instigating these acts to give the administration a bad name,” he added.
He, however, pointed out that security has improved in some areas, including parts of the Abuja-Kaduna corridor and Zamfara State.
According to him, criminal groups have shifted operations to other locations such as Niger State and Kwara State.
Yakassai expressed optimism that ongoing efforts by security agencies would eventually bring the situation under control.
“We know a lot still needs to be done, but with time and collective effort, insecurity will continue to decline until it is eliminated,” he said.
