President Bola Tinubu has charged traditional and religious leaders across the North-Central region to take a more active role in combating insecurity, urging them to provide early warnings and help prevent local disputes from escalating into violent conflicts.
Tinubu made the call on Monday at the 2026 North-Central Regional Security Summit held in Makurdi, Benue State.
The President, who was represented at the summit by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, also urged communities, youths, women, development partners and the private sector to strengthen cooperation with government and security agencies to restore lasting peace in the region.
Tinubu said the proximity of traditional rulers and religious leaders to the grassroots placed them in a strategic position to identify security threats before they degenerated into major crises.
He described the two groups as critical stakeholders whose influence could complement the efforts of conventional security agencies.
“To our revered traditional rulers and religious leaders, you hold an authority that no uniform confers. You know your communities intimately,” the President said.
He added that community leaders were often in a position to notice suspicious movements, changes in the behaviour of young people and brewing disputes before they developed into wider conflicts.
“I ask you to be our first line of early warning and our most trusted voice of reconciliation,” Tinubu said.
The President also appealed to residents to provide useful intelligence to security agencies and stop protecting suspected criminals because of family ties, ethnic connections or other sentiments.
He said the fight against insecurity could not be won through military operations alone, stressing the need to address the underlying social, economic and environmental factors that fuel violence and criminality.
According to him, the Federal Government is working to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture, improve cooperation among security agencies and rebuild the country’s indigenous defence industry.
Tinubu said the administration was also pursuing a combination of security operations and development interventions under the Renewed Hope Agenda, arguing that lasting peace required both effective security and improved living conditions.
The President called for a collective approach involving government institutions, communities and other stakeholders, stressing that security was a shared responsibility.
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