Abuja: President Bola Tinubu has assured Nigerians that ongoing reforms in the nation’s security architecture will soon yield tangible results, restoring public confidence.
The President gave the assurance on Friday during a meeting with a delegation of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), led by its President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, at his Lagos residence. The meeting was confirmed in a statement issued by Presidential Spokesperson, Mr. Bayo Onanuga.
Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to comprehensive security sector reforms, including the establishment of state and community policing to tackle emerging threats nationwide.
“The mood of the nation is peaceful, although our ungoverned spaces are so large. The challenge is real, but we will surmount it,” he said.
The President urged religious leaders to support government efforts through vigilance, cooperation, and prayers, noting that some measures required time to mature. He emphasized that state and community policing would become a reality once the National Assembly completed the necessary legislative processes.
Tinubu also addressed delays in acquiring military hardware, explaining that such equipment was costly and not readily available. He disclosed that Nigeria had ordered four attack helicopters from the United States and was engaging Turkey for additional support.
Despite the guerrilla tactics of bandits and insurgents, Tinubu stressed that restoring peace remained his administration’s top priority. On the recent abduction and release of schoolchildren in Niger and Kebbi States, he said the safety of victims was paramount: “The rhetoric on how the children were released or what happened to the kidnappers is secondary; the end justifies the means.”
Archbishop Okoh assured Tinubu of the Christian community’s support, commending the administration’s efforts at improving security. He noted that the 2025 Christmas season was the most peaceful in years, free from midnight calls reporting attacks on churches.
“Your commitment has closed the gap between the government and the Church. This has never happened before,” Okoh said.
He appealed for sustained engagement through CAN’s structures across the 774 local government areas and requested the release of funds to the Christian Pilgrims’ Board.
Other members of the delegation included CAN Vice President Rev. Dr. Stephen Panya Baba; President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Bishop Francis Wale Oke; and representatives of the Catholic, Methodist, and African Instituted Churches.