President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed state governors to discontinue the construction of flyovers in locations with minimal traffic, urging them to deploy the increased allocations from the Federation Account towards expanding road networks that improve citizens’ living conditions and strengthen security operations.
The President said state governments now receive between four and five times the revenue they previously obtained from the Federation Account and should prioritise projects that deliver direct economic and social benefits to Nigerians.
Tinubu gave the directive on Thursday while receiving a delegation of traditional rulers from Oyo State, led by the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The delegation visited the President to congratulate him on the successful rescue of schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State after spending 56 days in captivity.
Addressing the delegation, Tinubu said the increased federal allocations had placed greater responsibility on governors to invest in infrastructure that would improve connectivity and enhance security.
“The cost of operation is high. But the money that I’m pushing to the states, if you had it during your own time, or during my time, it would have been different,” he said.
The President continued: “they are taking four to five times their money. Nobody is borrowing money to pay salaries now. Pensioners are receiving their pay. They should do more instead of building flyovers where there is no numeric traffic; build roads and artery networks to really enhance the quality of life and the accessibility of the security agencies to penetrate those areas.”
Speaking on the rescue of the abducted victims, Tinubu disclosed that the terrorists had demanded both ransom and the release of detained members of their criminal network, but the Federal Government rejected the conditions.
“We refuse to negotiate for ransom. These criminals wanted us to release from detention members of their criminal gangs that were already arrested… and we said no deal. We are not going to negotiate with criminals,” the President declared.
He stressed that his administration would not negotiate with terrorists or criminals under any circumstance.
Tinubu further revealed that the Federal Government’s decision to expand the Nigerian Army from eight to 12 divisions was informed by the Oriire abduction, explaining that the move would significantly improve operational response time and strengthen the country’s fight against terrorism and banditry.
“We’ve given a geographical and numerical answer to the challenges. From eight divisions, we are now moving to 12 divisions to shorten the response time and give that response the teeth needed to defeat terrorism and banditry,” he stated.
The President commended the Armed Forces for successfully rescuing the abductees, attributing the operation’s success to effective intelligence and the military’s knowledge of the terrain.
He also reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to establishing state police with safeguards against abuse, while strengthening forest guards as part of a broader strategy to tackle insecurity at the grassroots.
Tinubu blamed the growing security challenges in Nigeria partly on instability in neighbouring Sahel countries, including Mali, Burkina Faso and the Niger Republic.
“Some of them are non-Nigerians. The insecurity in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic is adding more fuel to our challenges. That is why we must enhance the capacity of the forest guards as well as create the state police,” he said.
The President maintained that his administration would continue to pursue security reforms and infrastructure development aimed at improving governance, protecting lives and fostering sustainable national development.
This version follows the style of leading Nigerian newspapers such as Punch, The Nation, and Vanguard, with a hard news lead, inverted pyramid structure, and concise, factual reporting.
