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CJTF Calls for Government Support to Enhance Security in Nigeria
The Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) has called on security agencies and government authorities to provide enhanced support, including hardware, welfare, and transportation, to strengthen security efforts across Nigeria.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja yesterday, the National Chairman of CJTF, Dr. Kailani Mohammed, emphasized the crucial role the group plays in maintaining peace and assisting security forces in tackling crime.
“We need the support of security agencies to eliminate or eradicate all the crimes that have been troubling us in this country,” Dr. Mohammed stated.
He highlighted that the CJTF has been actively supporting security operations for the past 16 to 17 years, contributing to efforts aimed at restoring law, order, and national unity.
Commending CJTF operatives for their bravery, he said, “When you go into the bush and support security agencies in arresting bandits and kidnappers, you are at the forefront. This is a commendable effort you have sustained over the years.”
Dr. Mohammed also called on local law enforcement officers, particularly Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas, to continue their collaboration with the CJTF.
Comparing Nigeria’s security personnel numbers to other nations, he noted, “The Nigerian Army has about 290,000 personnel, whereas Egypt has over three million. Even when you combine all the security forces in Nigeria, I doubt they reach three million.”
He stressed that this gap underscores the importance of CJTF’s role in national security and urged authorities to provide necessary resources.
“We are calling on leaders to support us with hardware, welfare, and transportation so that we can all sleep with our two eyes closed,” he added.
Dr. Mohammed reaffirmed the commitment of CJTF members, describing them as gallant fighters who operate strategically in high-risk situations.
With Nigeria facing persistent security challenges, the CJTF’s appeal highlights the need for greater collaboration between government agencies and community-driven security initiatives.
President Bola Tinubu has assured all 774 fellows under the newly launched National Health Fellows Programme of automatic employment after their one-year tenure.
“You are hired,” Tinubu declared during the programme’s launch at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, on Thursday.
In April 2024, Tinubu approved the National Health Fellows Programme, a key initiative under his Renewed Hope Agenda to enhance accountability and efficiency in healthcare delivery.
The fellows, who have been undergoing training since February 27, 2025, under the Sector Wide Approach coordination office, will spend the next year monitoring Primary Healthcare Centres across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.
The President’s announcement followed a call by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, for federal, state, and local governments to integrate the fellows into the workforce to advance Universal Health Coverage in Nigeria.
Tinubu hailed the fellows as pioneers of a new era in primary healthcare as Pate highlighted their crucial role in supporting the FG’s plan to expand PHCs from 8,809 to 17,618 by 2027.
The Defence Headquarters has stated that reports from the Nigerian military provide a more accurate account of counter-terrorism efforts in the country than those from external sources.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, stated this on Thursday while fielding questions on the 2025 Global Terrorism Index, which was released on March 5.
The index ranked Nigeria sixth globally, with a score of 7.658, moving up from eighth place in 2023 and 2024. It also recorded 565 terrorism-related deaths in Nigeria in 2024.
Using a family analogy, Kangye argued that information from the family head should be deemed more credible than reports from outsiders.
“Something is happening in my house. I am the head of the house. I have children, I have a wife, and then Kuma Shi (someone else) is reporting what is happening in my house to me. Which one would be more correct? The one I tell you as the head of the house or the one Kuma Shi is reporting from outside?” he asked.
He urged the media to verify and correct any misleading narratives about Nigeria’s security situation, adding, “I’m not countering what they put out there, but as observers, you should be the ones to give the correct version of what is happening in Nigeria.”
On the sit-at-home order in the South East, Kangye noted that fear still keeps many residents indoors on Mondays.
He, however, reassured that the military is actively working to restore normalcy and rid the region of IPOB/ESN fighters.
“Who gave the order? IPOB/ESN criminals. Because of what was happening in the South East, Operation Udo Ka was set up—just like Operation Hadin Kai in the North East.
“The past three commanders in the region have been doing very well. They continue to encourage people to go about their normal business, but in some areas, locals stay home out of fear of being attacked. The commanders are working hard to free the South East from IPOB/ESN influence,” he said.
President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to building a sustainable and globally competitive financial system to allow Nigerian banks and other financial institutions to thrive.
The President, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, made the statement on Wednesday during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new state-of-the-art headquarters of First Bank of Nigeria at Eko Atlantic City in Lagos State.
Shettima disclosed this in a statement posted on X.com on Wednesday.
The statement read, “President #officialABAT has said that his administration is working assiduously to create a system that is sustainable and globally competitive, enabling Nigerian banks and other financial institutions to thrive.
“He noted that government policies under his administration are driven by the reality that the nation no longer has the luxury of time to postpone its economic transformation.”
Tinubu who noted that banks can only prosper under a thriving economy, however, pointed out that everything his administration does—and sets out to accomplish—rests on the cooperation and capacity of financial institutions.
“Banks are the engines of economic growth, and we owe it to them to champion a system that guarantees sustainability and global competitiveness.
“Our expectation is for our banks to excel, expand beyond our shores, and earn their place among the world’s most viable and profitable enterprises,” he was quoted as saying.
According to the report, a host of prominent dignitaries and political leaders including the President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the Chairman of FBN Holdings, Femi Otedola, and former Senate President Bukola Saraki, and governors were among the distinguished guests who attended the event on Wednesday.