⁣⁣
Although details of the meeting were not made public, The PUNCH gathered that it was convened to review the current security situation and for the service Chiefs to brief President Tinubu before he departs for New Delhi, India, later tonight ahead of the G-20 summit scheduled for September 9-10. ⁣⁣

Monday’s gathering which was held at the President’s conference room comes exactly three months after Tinubu convened his first security meeting with the now-retired service chiefs. It is his third since assuming office on May 29, 2023. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
A recent report by the International Committee of the Red Cross described the banditry ravaging Nigeria’s North West and North Central as the gravest security threat to the country.

The account titled, The question of definition: Armed banditry in Nigeria’s North-West in the context of international humanitarian law” said banditry and terrorism have put the North East and North-West on the edge.⁣
⁣
It said while terrorists had killed about 350,000 people and displaced millions, the fatalities from the activities of the bandits at some point outweighed that of the Boko Haram terrorists.⁣

Present at the security meeting were the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa; Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Taoreed Lagbaja, Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar and Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla. ⁣⁣
⁣⁣
The Minister of Defense, Abubakar Badaru and his Minister of State, Bello Mattawale were also present.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
None of the attendees agreed to address the press as of this report.⁣