Nigeria, June 27 -- When security forces foiled a planned terrorist attack on students writing the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in Kogi State and neutralised the notorious terrorist leader, Kachalla Ibrahim Battijo, the immediate public reaction was one of relief. A tragedy had been prevented. But beyond the operational success lay something equally important: a window into the security philosophy that has increasingly defined the work of National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

At the 15th National Security Seminar organised by the Alumni Association of the National Defence College (AANDEC), in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the National Defence College (NDC) in Ab...