President Bola Tinubu wants Nigeria’s service chiefs not to leave any stone unturned in the country’s battle against insecurity.
Tinubu said this on Thursday during the decoration of the service chiefs at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
“I charge you, as the heads of our nation’s armed forces, to carry out your duties with patriotic zeal. Nigerians expect results, not excuses,” he told them at the event attended by top government dignitaries and others.
The president hailed the Armed Forces for their efforts in the country’s fight against insecurity which he believes has led to the restoration of “peace to many areas previously under siege, rescued countless kidnapped citizens, and significantly diminished the capacity of the terror groups”.
“I thank our armed forces for their patriotism, diligence, and dedication to their duty. As your Commander-in-Chief, I sincerely appreciate your sacrifices, as I have repeatedly acknowledged,” he said.
But the former Lagos State governor wants more from the military especially with the constantly evolving security threats across the country.
“Of grave concern to our administration is the recent emergence of new armed groups in the North-Central, North-West, and parts of the South. We must not allow these new threats to fester,” the president said.
“We must be decisive and proactive. Let us smash the new snakes right in the head.”
READ ALSO: Oluyede Appointed New CDS As Tinubu Removes Musa, Others
President Tinubu to service chiefs: We cannot allow the crisis that began in 2009 to persist any longer
SPEECH BY PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU GCFR AT THE DECORATION OF THE NEWLY APPOINTED SERVICE CHIEFS DELIVERED AT THE STATE HOUSE, ABUJA, ON OCTOBER 30, 2025
PROTOCOL… pic.twitter.com/EaorZqI2ff
— Bayo Onanuga (@aonanuga1956) October 30, 2025
The president congratulated them, describing the decoration ceremony as “the beginning of our renewed effort to ensure the peace and security of all Nigerians. Each of you has been carefully selected for this critical task”
“Security is an essential element without which everything else is rendered meaningless.
“There cannot be sufficient development if this fundamental aspect of human need is unmet. Our people and our nation must remain secure to enjoy the benefits of governance.”
President Tinubu appointed the new service chiefs last week in a major shakeup of Nigeria’s military hierarchy, a move the presidency attributed to the need to reorganise the country’s security architecture.
He sacked the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, and named the ex-Chief of Army Staff, Olufemi Oluyede, as his replacement.
The President also appointed Major General Waidi Shaibu as the new Chief of Army Staff while naming new heads for the Air Force and the Navy.
The Senate confirmed the service chiefs earlier this week.