By George Onmonya Daniel
It is quite clear that Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser to the president has not been giving the president the right advise on how to tackle the Fulani herdsmen, members of his ethnic group, who have not just continued terrorising the country and are involved in crime against humanity, but they have deliberately continued to embarrass the country.
Mr. Ribadu’s kinetic and non-kinetic approach to resolving a conflict that the bandits are not willing to discuss or engage is problematic. The bandits are not under one leader, different Fulani communities armed to the teeth quickly find kidnapping and collecting ransoms more lucrative than herding. With the backing of their politicians who control the politics of Northern Nigeria, they know they are shielded. It is this backing that gives the terrorists so much confidence.
Nuhu Ribadu seems to be playing the politics of shielding the bandits. They are the most dangerous terrorist group in Nigeria right now, sacking villages from Sokoto to Katsina, Kebbi to Niger, and right now Kogi to Kwara down to Oyo. In fact, they want so much attention that immediately Donald Trump mentioned Christian Genocide they went on rampage kidnapping school children and attacking churches. They have continued to do that. Nigeria has become one of the most lucrative market for terror because of the protection the Fulani herdsmen enjoy from government.
Whatever politics Nuhu Ribadu is playing with negotiation with bandits is not working. That is what everyone is talking about. Mr. Ribadu has been rumoured to have presidential ambition, and it has been reported that he is following the script of the the likes of Miyetti Allah not to offend the Fulani protectors and defenders of the bandits who have great political influence in the north.
The atrocities of the Fulani terror gangs in 2026, barely a month into the year, shows that they have no interest in peace and disarming. They are enjoying their business. They just kidnapped a whole church congregation in Southern Kaduna and Nuhu Ribadu would use the NSA to pay hundreds of millions to the bandits, monies that would probably be used to buy arms and ammunitions to continue terrorising Nigeria,
