President Bola Tinubu convened a closed-door meeting with Nigeria's Service Chiefs at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday, ahead of his scheduled departure to Rome this Saturday.

The high-level security meeting included 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 Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

While specific details of the discussions remain undisclosed, sources indicate the meeting likely addressed the recent resurgence of insecurity across various regions of the country. This gathering comes shortly after the President's approval for the recruitment of forest guards as part of broader security measures.

Vatican Invitation and Papal Inauguration

According to Presidential Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu will join global dignitaries and senior Catholic clergy in Rome for the solemn mass marking the beginning of Pope Leo XIV's pontificate. The ceremony for the 267th Bishop of Rome is scheduled for Sunday, May 18, at St. Peter's Square.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin delivered a formal invitation highlighting 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, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, was elected by the College of Cardinals 27 days after Pope Francis's death on April 21. The new pontiff has a personal connection to Nigeria, having served at the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s. He reportedly described Nigeria as "particularly dear" to him.

Presidential Delegation

President Tinubu will be accompanied by a high-profile delegation including Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and prominent Catholic leaders: 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.

The President is expected to return to Abuja on Tuesday, May 20, following the historic papal event.