Kebbi’s 3 a.m. Withdrawal Shows Why President Tinubu’s Security Reforms Can’t Wait
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When Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State revealed that security personnel deployed to vulnerable communities were withdrawn at 3:00 a.m.—just 45 minutes before an attack—Nigerians reacted with shock, anger, and a single question that refuses to disappear:
Who gave the withdrawal order?
It is a fair question. It is also one that may take time, investigation, and institutional honesty to answer. But the Kebbi incident exposes a deeper truth about security management in Nigeria: our command structure is too fragmented for a country battling multi-layered threats.
And this, more than anything, validates President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s push for a centralised, technology-driven, and accountable security coordination model.
Nigeria’s security agencies—military, police, DSS, civil defence, intelligence units—operate in parallel lanes with overlapping mandates. State governors, despite bearing the title “Chief Security Officer,” have no legal authority over federal forces.
This incoherence is not new. But the Kebbi withdrawal incident makes its dangers painfully clear.
A troop movement that occurs during a high-alert period should not be shrouded in mystery.
A withdrawal at an odd hour should not happen without:
• a logged authorisation,
• central oversight, and
• cross-agency communication.
If no one can clearly answer who approved the 3 a.m. stand-down, then we confront a structural problem—not merely an operational one.
President Tinubu inherited a security architecture that has limped for years. But his administration has consistently championed an agenda built on five pillars:
1. Unifying command structures
2. Deepening intelligence sharing
3. Deploying emerging technology nationwide
4. Increasing federal–state coordination
5. Creating accountability mechanisms across agencies
These are not abstract ideas. They are practical solutions to real failures — failures that Kebbi has once again exposed.
The President’s vision for a National Joint Operations Command (JOC) is perhaps the most important reform. A central, always-on platform linking all security agencies would make unexplained withdrawals virtually impossible.
Nigeria does not lack brave personnel, capable commanders, or intelligence resources. What it lacks is unity of purpose, unity of command, and unity of information.
The Kebbi attack is tragic. But it is also a warning—and an opportunity.
If Nigeria adopts the kind of reforms President Tinubu is proposing, we could see:
• faster response times,
• fewer communication gaps,
• clearer chains of command,
• stronger collaboration with state governments, and
• accountability for unexplained actions—like a 3 a.m. withdrawal order.
Nigeria cannot continue with a security architecture where crucial decisions are made without central oversight.
The security challenges confronting the nation demand a streamlined, modernised system—one that aligns with Tinubu’s reform agenda and meets the expectations of citizens who are tired of avoidable tragedies.
My edge:
The Kebbi incident raises hard questions, but it also points to an unmistakable conclusion:
While the post celebrates “security reforms,” it ignores the real, painful reality Nigerian citizens have faced for years:
ReplyDeleteThe key points are:
Insecurity has been ongoing, but local media outlets were pressured into silence
If President Trump had not mentioned the issue, the sudden urgency wouldn’t exist
Asking “Who gave the withdrawal order?” is not a sophisticated question — it’s a basic issue of accountability
You can’t blame “a fragmented security system” when the first failure is transparency
Calling this incident a reason to “accelerate Tinubu’s reforms” is a political spin
The government owes answers — pretending confusion is disrespectful
I don’t think anything that concerns insecurity is ignored, Trump’s noise is just political play and nothing more.. you are forgetting Tinubu’s reform is part of the accountability you mentioned. Fragmented or not an order that removes protection in the exact an attack happens points to the fact that our military might be compromised or Kebbi government
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