Tinubu Halts Foreign Trips as Surge of Attacks Sparks Urgent Security Push

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has postponed his scheduled trip to the G20 Leaders’ Summit and the EU high-level gathering, opting to remain in Nigeria as the nation grapples with a spate of violent attacks that have triggered widespread alarm.

The President stayed back in Abuja on Thursday for intensive security briefings after what officials describe as a “coordinated wave of terror activities” struck three states within days.

Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, said Tinubu’s decision reflects a firm, uncompromising stance on national security.

“When it comes to national security, there is no grey area you are either a patriot or a traitor. We are at that point now, and the government is fully ready to end this menace,” Dare said.

He added: “The point we are now with the theatre commanders we have, with the service chiefs that have just been brought in, we have gotten to that point where the rubber has met the road.”

The President’s change of plans follows three unsettling incidents that have raised national tension:

• The killing of Brigadier General Musa Uba and several soldiers in Borno during an ISWAP ambush one of the deadliest attacks on military personnel this year.

• The abduction of 25 schoolgirls from a boarding school in Kebbi State, renewing concerns over the resilience and mobility of armed bandit groups.

• A shocking attack on a church in Kwara State during a live-streamed service, where at least three worshippers were killed and more than ten abducted, sending shockwaves across the country.

Security experts warn that the pattern and timing of the attacks point to a dangerous escalation by terror groups and criminal networks, especially as they come barely weeks after major shake-ups within the nation’s security hierarchy.

Speaking on Beyond the Headlines, Dare stressed that the President’s decision to stay in the country was driven by the urgency to coordinate operations across security agencies and deliver “decisive, measurable action.”

With pressure mounting and public anxiety rising, Tinubu’s choice to halt foreign engagements signals a clear priority shift within the presidency placing the restoration of national security above all diplomatic commitments.