Ribadu: Tinubu won’t be distracted

Ribadu dismissed current political coalitions against the president administration, and enjoined Nigerians to ignore them.

He said the country is in safe hands not only for the fact that the President was trained abroad as a professional, but the evidence of his administration’s achievements within the past two years.

The NSA’s remarks followed the disclosure by the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ola Olukoyede, that the commission had secured the conviction of 146 out of 194 foreigners arrested for cybersecurity attacks relating to financial Crimes in the country.

“Last year, we arrested about 194 foreigners who were involved in various forms of financial crimes and activities that are inimical to the economic growth and development of our country.

“Today, I can tell you that we have succeeded in prosecution and conviction of 146 of them. They will serve their jail terms and will be repatriated to their respective countries, ” Olukoyede said.

He said majority of the foreigners posed as Nigerians with stolen identities to defraud unsuspecting individuals and institutions in the country, while Nigerians are being accused wrongly for such crimes.

Ribadu and Olukoyede both spoke on Wednesday at the Abuja Continental Hotel during the opening ceremony of the International Cybersecurity Conference organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

The Conference had the theme: “Cybersecurity, building a resilient digital future “.

The Conference had in attendance the Senate Committee Chairman on Cybersecurity, Senator Shuaibu Salihu, the Chairman House Committee on Cybersecurity, Mr Stanley Adedeji, the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Richards Mills, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Communications, Innovations and Digital Economy, Mr Adeladan Rafiu, the National Commissioner of NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji and the Managing Director of Galaxy Backbone limited, Prof Ibrahim Adeyanju, among others.

In his remarks, Ribadu further said the president was working hard to ensure speedy economic recovery for Nigeria and also make it a haven for Foreign Direct Investments (FDI).

The NSA who outlined some of the steps taken so far by the administration to ensure safety and security of the country especially from the point of view of insurgency, banditry and kidnapping, said some of the challenges would soon be a thing of the past.

The NSA also urged Nigerians to ignore the so called coalition of politicians as their efforts would no distract the president on delivering the dividends of democracy for the people.

While he said government has committed huge investments into cybersecurity and other infrastructures, he called on the international community and investors to feel safe and take advantage of the investment opportunities in the country.

Ribadu urged the Private sector to continue to support government efforts to improve the economy, saying “We are a family, you in the private sector, we in the public sector. We are one, and I want to urge you to continue to be there for us. Let’s work towards improvement for all of us.”

“Together we are building a safer, more resilient digital Nigeria. One that can inspire confidence, drive innovation, and secure our future. The real people who are doing the work, not the noise makers.

“But we are not here to rest on our achievements. We are here because we understand that resilience is a journey, not a destination. That requires a whole of common and a whole of society approach.

“Mobilizing not just tools, but people, processes, and relationships. Every citizen has a role to play. Every agency, every company, and every professional community.

“We must move beyond awareness to action. Beyond policy to implementation. Therefore, I challenge each one of you gathered here today.

“Let this conference be more than another event on the calendar. Let it be a turning point. Let it be a moment we reaffirm our shared responsibility.”

In his remarks, the Director General of NITDA, Malam Kashifu Inuwa, said the Cybersecurity Conference was put together for Nigeria to advance in digital inclusion, safe cyber space and ecosystem, and develop resilience against any form of cyber attacks.

Inuwa said about 63 MDAs, 53 Private companies, 25 international organisations, 10 Embassies, 11 academic institutions, 7 civil society groups and 7 international security outfits are participating in the conference.