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Jos: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the immediate reinforcement of security at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies in Kuru, Plateau State, following a bandit attack on the institute’s perimeter that claimed the lives of two soldiers and one police officer.
The presidential directive was delivered on Friday by Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented Tinubu at an address to participants of Senior Executive Course 48, 2026, at NIPSS — an address that combined condolences for the fallen, commendation for those who stood firm, and an unambiguous warning to those behind the attack.
The Directive
Tinubu directed the Director-General of NIPSS, Professor Ayo Omotayo, to work with all security agencies to fortify the institute’s perimeter without delay. He ordered the submission of a comprehensive action plan and timeline for permanent security reinforcement — covering surveillance, personnel, access control, and emergency response systems — to the Office of the Vice President within 72 hours.
The President described NIPSS as a key national asset and Nigeria’s strategic intellectual nerve centre, declaring that its protection must be treated as a matter of national security priority.
“Your safety is non-negotiable,” Shettima told participants on the President’s behalf. “The President has directed the immediate reinforcement of security around NIPSS and all strategic institutions.”
The Fallen
The President conveyed the condolences of the Federal Government to the families of the three security personnel killed during the attack and made a direct commitment to their welfare.
“The sacrifice of those three brave men will not be in vain. Their children will be our children. Their welfare will be our responsibility,” Shettima said
The Message to the Attackers
Tinubu was pointed in his assessment of the attack’s intent — and its failure.
He said the assault was designed to spread fear and disrupt the training of future national leaders. Instead, he argued, it revealed the courage, discipline, and resilience of the participants, management, and security personnel who held their ground.
“When darkness came to the gates of this Institute, it expected to find people who would scatter into the night. It found instead men and women who stood their ground. You did not flee. You did not abandon your colleagues. You faced the worst that cruelty could send, and you answered it with composure, with courage, and with the steady discipline of people who understand exactly why they were summoned to this place,” he said.
The President assured participants and staff that those behind the attack would not break the spirit of the country or the purpose for which NIPSS was established.
Commendations
Tinubu praised Professor Omotayo for his leadership and swift coordination with the Armed Forces and the Nigeria Police Force during and after the attack. He also commended the institute’s Director of Studies, Nima Mann, for coordinating the safety of staff and participants and ensuring that order was maintained when fear could have taken hold.
He urged SEC 48 participants not to allow the incident to define them negatively — but to draw strength from it as part of their preparation for national leadership.
“Your conduct under pressure has proved your fitness for the serious responsibilities for which you were being trained,” he said.
Plateau State Response
Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State, who received the Vice President, expressed the appreciation of the NIPSS community and the people of Plateau for the visit. He approved the management of NIPSS’s request for the provision of a buffer zone around the institution and the installation of security lights in the surrounding area.
The Director-General of NIPSS said the institute was deeply honoured by the presidential delegation’s visit — and noted that the incident had exposed a vulnerability that extends beyond NIPSS itself.
“The incident highlighted the vulnerability of critical government institutions across the country,” Professor Omotayo said.
