Former Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Chinedum Orji, says President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s combination of military operations and community-based interventions is beginning to restore peace and improve security across Nigeria.
Orji, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the forthcoming House of Representatives rerun election in the Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency, said the Tinubu administration had, since assuming office in May 2023, adopted a dual-track security strategy combining kinetic and non-kinetic measures to tackle immediate threats and the underlying causes of insecurity.
In an article titled “A Steady Hand in a Storm: President Tinubu’s Dual Strategy for Reclaiming Nigeria’s Peace,” Orji said the administration had deliberately combined military action with preventive and community-based interventions.
According to him, the kinetic component represents “the hard edge of state power”, involving the Armed Forces, Nigeria Police Force and intelligence agencies in direct operations against criminal groups.
He cited sustained offensives against terrorist enclaves in the North-East, raids on bandit camps in Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Niger states, rescue operations for kidnapping victims, improved highway policing, aerial surveillance and enhanced intelligence sharing among security agencies.
Orji said stronger inter-agency coordination had enabled security agencies to move from reactive responses to more proactive operations against emerging threats.
He added that the non-kinetic strategy focused on addressing the root causes of insecurity through dialogue, economic empowerment, education, deradicalisation and rehabilitation programmes.
“Peace held by soldiers alone is fragile. Peace owned by communities lasts. One clears the ground, the other plants something better in its place,” he wrote.
Improved Funding
Orji added that the administration had also improved funding and morale for frontline security personnel, while expanding engagement with traditional rulers, religious leaders and civil society organisations.
He said agricultural support programmes, access to credit and investments in rural infrastructure were aimed at reducing economic hardship that leaves young people vulnerable to recruitment by criminal groups.
Orji also defended deradicalisation and rehabilitation programmes for repentant insurgents and victims of violent extremism, describing them as strategic tools for achieving long-term security.
“This is not weakness. It is strategy. It reduces the pool of foot soldiers available to violent groups and gives communities a path back to normalcy,” he said.
He said the approach was also being applied to communal conflicts through mediation, land-use dialogue and alternative livelihood initiatives designed to address grievances before they escalate into violence.
Reduced Attacks
In the North-West, Orji said military operations had helped reopen markets and grazing routes, while dialogue between farmers’ and herders’ associations had reduced reprisal attacks and strengthened early-warning mechanisms.
He also highlighted Nigeria’s collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and bilateral security partners, stressing that transnational criminal networks required coordinated regional responses.
According to him, hotspot mapping, drone surveillance and community reporting applications had made security operations more intelligence-driven.
Orji linked improved security to economic recovery, arguing that greater stability would strengthen investor confidence in agriculture, mining, logistics and other productive sectors.
“Jobs follow confidence,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to support security efforts through neighbourhood watch initiatives, intelligence sharing and community engagement, stressing that “citizens are not spectators”.
While acknowledging that insecurity remained a significant challenge, Orji maintained that the administration was moving in the right direction.
“No honest assessment will claim the job is finished. Insecurity is hydra-headed and will test any government. But the direction is clear and the method is sound,” he said.
He called for sustained pressure on criminal groups alongside increased investment in vulnerable communities, saying President Tinubu had demonstrated “firmness without recklessness, and compassion without naivety”.
