Nigeria's Financial Struggles Blamed on Buhari's Administration, According to NSA Ribadu

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has disclosed that Nigeria faced severe financial challenges during the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari. Making the first official statement on the government's finances post-Buhari's eight-year administration, Ribadu addressed the Chief of Defence Intelligence Annual Conference on Monday, November 13. He characterized the financial state inherited by President Bola Tinubu's administration as that of a "bankrupted country," emphasizing ongoing efforts to recover assets taken or misappropriated during the previous government.

While not explicitly stating that the nation was pillaged, Ribadu strongly suggested that the treasury was significantly depleted. According to This Day, he remarked, "We have inherited a very difficult country, a bankrupt country to the extent that we are paying back what was taken. It is serious. But this administration is doing its best to meet our requirements, including that of the armed forces."

Despite the financial challenges, Ribadu acknowledged a noteworthy improvement in Nigeria's security situation. He noted, "Things have changed. Things are changing. You may not be reading it, but things have changed. You have given life back to the office of the NSA." Commending the efforts of defence attachees, he encouraged them to continue their work, underscoring the positive relationships fostered between Nigeria and host countries through the defence attachee system.

Ribadu highlighted that enhanced security measures contributed to a substantial reduction in violent deaths from 1,200 to 100. Notably, he pointed out that there were no recorded deaths in Borno State, previously a battleground for insurgents. Additionally, he revealed that security forces successfully rescued 600 kidnap victims who had been in captivity for two years.