The Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has issued a stern warning against any attempt to topple the country’s democratic government through a military coup, stressing that Nigeria remains the only functioning democracy in the entire Sahel region and must be protected at all costs.
Speaking on Thursday at a high‑level dialogue on preventing violence and conflict in northern Nigeria, held in Abuja, Ribadu said persistent insecurity, terrorism and economic pressures must never be used to justify unconstitutional change of government.
“Nigeria remains the only functioning democracy in the entire Sahel, and we must protect that achievement,” he declared, warning that any individual or group seeking to undermine national unity or exploit community grievances “will face decisive, coordinated and uncompromising actions.”
Ribadu acknowledged that the country is going through deep security and economic challenges but insisted that democratic institutions, however imperfect, are the only legitimate framework for resolving them.
He noted that some countries in West and Central Africa had already lost their democracies to successive coups, making Nigeria’s stability even more critical for the region. “We are going to defeat evil. We are going to defeat terror. We have a strong order in our country. We will never give up. We will never surrender, we will not,” he said.
The NSA disclosed that security agencies have secured hundreds of terrorism‑related convictions and are intensifying operations against non‑state armed groups but emphasised that hard security measures alone are not enough. He said his office had directed the National Counter‑Terrorism Centre to scale up prevention and counter‑violent‑extremism programmes that are “community‑centred, intelligence‑driven, and aligned with national development priorities,” in line with President Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda, which focuses on inclusion, accountability and institutional strengthening.
Ribadu warned politicians, agitators and extremist voices, both offline and online, against romanticising coups or using the language of insurrection, stressing that such rhetoric emboldens violent actors and destabilises the country.
“Any individual or group seeking to exploit communities, exploit terror or undermine national unity will face decisive, coordinated and uncompromising actions,” he reiterated, assuring Nigerians that security agencies are closely monitoring threats and will act before they crystallise into open conflict or unconstitutional takeovers.
