Tinubu in Closed-door Meeting with CDS, Service Chiefs, IGP - THISDAYLIVE
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu on Friday met with the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), the three Service Chiefs and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) at the State House in Abuja.
The meeting was coming ahead of the president’s scheduled trip to Rome on Saturday, where he will attend the formal installation of Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, sequel to an invitation from the Vatican.
Attending the security meeting with the president are the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa; Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla; and the IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, among other top security chiefs.
Although details of the meeting was yet to be disclosed, discussions are expected to focus on recent security skirmishes in parts of the country.
Presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, had on Thursday disclosed that President Tinubu will join global dignitaries and senior Catholic clergy for the solemn mass marking the beginning of the pontificate of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV—the 267th Bishop of Rome and new head of the Roman Catholic Church.
Formerly known as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, Pope Leo XIV will be formally installed during a grand ceremony at St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, May 18, following his election by the College of Cardinals 27 days after the death of Pope Francis on April 21.
In a formal invitation delivered by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican emphasized the significance of President Tinubu’s presence “at this moment of particular importance for the Catholic Church and a world plagued by numerous tensions and conflicts”.
Pope Leo XIV, who previously served at the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s, expressed a deep personal connection to Nigeria, describing the country as “particularly dear” to him.
The president will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria; Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja; Archbishop Alfred Martins of Lagos; and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto Diocese.
President Tinubu is expected to return to Abuja on Tuesday, May 20.
