The Presidential Community Engagement Team has met with the Minister of Defence General Christopher Musa (retd), and senior government officials to forge partnerships aimed at tackling insecurity through grassroots initiatives.
Senior Special Assistant on Community Engagement in the North Central region, Dr. Abiodun Essiet led the presidential delegation of the senior aides including North West – Abdullahi Tanko Yakasai, South West – Moremi Ojudu, and South East – Chioma Nweze.
According to Dr. Essiet, the discussions centred on non-kinetic strategies for peacebuilding, including better intelligence from communities, improved messaging of military interventions, and channels for local feedback to build trust between citizens and security forces.
“Both sides agreed to form a joint working group and hold regional security summits with federal, state and local officials, allowing residents to voice concerns directly,” the presidential aide said.
NewsQuest gathered that a dedicated communication line will now link the Ministry of Defence with the team, targeting youth engagement programmes, non-State actors and root causes of unrest such as poverty and unrest.
The move reflects growing emphasis on community-led solutions amid Nigeria’s persistent banditry and insurgency challenges.
Our correspondent reports that the meeting with the Defence Minister is coming in the wake of escalating terroriam attacks including the latest killing of over 200 persons in a community in Kwara State.
