Security agencies have apprehended the principal suspects in the abduction of the District Head of Daura in Katsina state, Alhaji Musa Umar, Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, has said.
The naval chief said this while addressing State House correspondents at the end of a security meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa “Serious efforts are being made, key suspects have been arrested and it is hoped that in a short while, those behind the heinous crime will be brought to book.’’
He stated that cases of kidnapping had dropped drastically in the last few days as security agencies had intensified efforts in curbing the menace.
“You will recall that during the last meeting, the Inspector-General of Police was directed to address the situation and consequently, various operations were set up; Puff Adder was one of the strategies. With the set-up of that operation, there has been a remarkable drop in the number of kidnappings.
“What normally would attract attention is when a key person in government, perhaps, is kidnapped. On the whole, the number of kidnappings has dropped and generally, I think that the security situation is improving,’’ he said.
The navy chief said the meeting with the president was meant to apprise the President of the security situation after his short vacation abroad.
He said security agencies briefed the president on what had been happening across the country with particular emphasis on the proliferation of small arms and what they were doing to curtail the consequences.
He said the president directed security agencies to do much more to ensure that Nigerians go to bed and wake up feeling healthy and confident that their security is guaranteed.
The security meeting was attended by Secretary to Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha; National Security Adviser, retired Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno; Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali; Director-General of State Security Service, Yusuf Bichi; Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Chief of Air Staff, Inspector General of Police, and the Director-General of National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ahmed Rufa’i.
