Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has pledged that the Federal Government will dismantle the criminal syndicates responsible for widespread insecurity across the country, assuring citizens that the nation is too resilient to be broken by insurgents.
Senator Tinubu gave the assurance on Saturday during an engagement with traditional rulers in Ekiti State at the Jibowu Hall, Government House, Ado-Ekiti, as part of a one-day working visit to the state.
In attendance were Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji, the wife of the Vice President, Hajia Nana Shettima, Ekiti First Lady Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, Deputy Governor Chief Monisade Afuye, and other senior government officials.
Addressing the monarchs directly, the First Lady said the administration is taking a comprehensive approach to restoring peace. She said President Tinubu has entered into security partnerships with developed countries, including the United States, and is also pursuing internal measures to neutralise those perpetrating killings and kidnappings across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones.
“The US and some other developed countries are helping us in this matter. Some of those terrorising us are non-Nigerians. No matter what happens, we shall overcome, Nigeria is too great to be intimidated,” she said.
While describing the cases of kidnappings, banditry and killings as deeply disheartening, the First Lady acknowledged that significant efforts were ongoing to stamp out criminality, though she noted that the specifics of those operations could not be disclosed publicly.
She expressed confidence that security challenges facing the country would soon be overcome, noting that President Tinubu was working round the clock for lasting peace.
The First Lady’s remarks come months after she made a similar case on the international stage. During a visit to Washington, D.C., in early February 2026, Senator Tinubu called for enhanced security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States in an interview with Fox News Digital, describing a US Christmas Day 2025 airstrike on Islamist militants in northwest Nigeria as “a blessing” and a major boost to the country’s counter-terrorism efforts.
At Saturday’s engagement, traditional rulers also weighed in on the security debate. One monarch urged that the bill for the creation of state police be fast-tracked, while expressing confidence in President Tinubu’s leadership and pledging continued support from traditional institutions.
Beyond security matters, Senator Tinubu highlighted several interventions under her Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), including annual scholarships, educational support programmes, and empowerment schemes. These included the distribution of 10,000 exercise books to public schools in Ekiti in June 2024, and 1,500 scholarships in 2025, with Ekiti allocated 40 slots for students from 200 level to PhD level.
