The trip was his first official trip as Nigeria’s president since his May 29 inauguration.
Nuhu Ribadu, the newly appointed National Security Adviser (NSA) on Tuesday flew from Abuja to Lagos to welcome President Bola Tinubu back to Nigeria from his trip abroad.
Last Tuesday, Tinubu travelled to France for the global financial pact summit.
The trip was his first official trip as Nigeria’s president since his May 29 inauguration.
However, top sources in the presidency revealed that the president's visit was also a “strategy” to see his team of medical doctors.
“BAT is to attend the Global Financing Pact Summit in Paris, France, next week. This will be his first official trip outside Nigeria since his assumption of duty as President,” one of the top sources had said.
“The trip is to check his health too. It is a strategy to go to hospital,” another source had noted.
Though the president was scheduled to be back in the country on Saturday, he however left France for London on a “short private visit”, a statement by Dele Alake, his Special Adviser on Communications and Strategy read.
Tinubu however flew in from London to Lagos today (Tuesday) ahead of the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations, before he would return to Abuja, the nation’s capital.
The Nigerian government had declared Wednesday and Thursday as public holidays to enable Muslim faithful mark this year’s Eid-el-Kabir celebration.
Spotted at the airport to receive the President is Ribadu who on Monday officially took over from Babagana Monguno as NSA.
Ribadu, a former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was appointed by Tinubu last week.
The level of insecurity in the country has not improved under Tinubu’s government with many parts of the country currently battling one form of violent crime or another.
According to Amnesty International (AI), more than 120 people have been killed since he was inaugurated as president on May 29.
In a statement by AI’s acting director, Isa Sanusi, gunmen claimed the lives of 123 people within Tinubu’s first two weeks in office as president.
“It is horrific that attacks by gunmen have claimed at least 123 lives mere weeks after President Bola Tinubu assumed office on 29 May.
“Rural communities, always bracing themselves for the next bout of violence, are facing deadly attacks by rampaging killers. Protecting lives should be the utmost priority of the new government. The Nigerian authorities must urgently take steps to stop the bloodletting,” Sanusi had said.
He said authorities in the country had failed to protect people as killings have become a norm.
A data obtained from the Nigeria Security Tracker, a project of the Council on Foreign Relations on June 6 also revealed that 78 Nigerians were killed and 12 abducted in violent attacks across the country a week after Tinubu took the oath of office.
The incidents happened in Rivers, Zamfara, Kaduna, Ogun and Sokoto states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The report noted that gunmen killed four and beheaded two persons in Rivers on May 29.
On May 30, bandits killed a vigilante leader and 24 others in Zamfara. Also, on May 30, two APC (All Progressives Congress) women leaders were kidnapped after attending the Kaduna governor’s inauguration.
On the same day, bandits killed a man and kidnapped his wife, and four kids in Kaduna. Also, on May 30, suspected cultists killed six persons in Rivers communities.
On May 31, gunmen in camouflage attacked an Ogun farm, killed three and abducted two. In Abuja, gunmen kidnapped four on June 4, 2023.
On Sunday, bandits killed 37 over refusal to pay levy in Sokoto.