National Security Adviser, Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd), has expressed worry over loss of innocent lives in the North due to kidnapping, banditry and insurgency, while stating government’s commitment and determination to put an end to it.
According to the NSA, the will might have been lacking previously to address the challenge of insecurity effectively, coupled with external threats from saboteurs, but with the new service chiefs and renewed commitments by government and security agencies with the support of governors, religious and traditional leaders, security will be achieved.
Addressing a town hall meeting on Security with Northwest governors, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), service chiefs, traditional and religious leaders at Arewa House on Monday, the NSA, said: “The purpose of this meeting is to address a very serious concern on security in our country. The meeting is not only for Northwest but it would cover all other five geopolitical zones of the country.
“President Muhammadu Buhari is very worried about what is going on. The loss of innocent lives ongoing in the Northwest and Northeast is troubling to all of us and he is committed to bring an end to the terrible situation. He wants to bring it to a legitimate end. It is true that security is primary responsibility of government, but conflict in the 21st century is different from what we had in the last century, so we need to work together with the security chiefs to address it.
“I don’t want to believe that we cannot put an end to insecurity in this country, perhaps we don’t have the will to do that. President Buhari is committed and determined in the vigorous pursuit to bring an end to insecurity in the country and that would happen. But there is need for all of us in the community to work together to deal with this issue. I know there are people working against government and security agencies to achieve security that would also be brought to an end.
“Lots of lives have been lost but the issue of us converging as a nation to deal with our problem is important as our greatest strength lies in our diversity. We have lots of people who have been engaging to undermine security in Nigeria. There are people who believe that there is no hope again, we have to pull ourselves by the boot strap to re energise the society and find solution to the challenge,” Gen. Monguno said.
The Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Lucky Irabor said that reorganisation is already ongoing in the security circle, even as they intensify efforts to gather data to effectively address the insecurity ravaging parts of the country and ensure peace and security of lives and properties across the country.
“The meeting is intended to let the governors and people of Northwest zone and Nigeria know that the security situation is of concern to the Commander-in-Chief and to everyone in the defence and security sector. To assure you that we are not resting on our oars, that some reorganization are being carried out that would help change the tide of insecurity across the land and in this part of the country.
“There is no doubt that there are issues, our coming here today is to feel your impulse and reassure you that the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari is not asleep in terms of security that the NSA, the CDS, the service chiefs, the police IG, the DG of DSS are working together to ensure that there is difference,” the CDS said.
Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna state said the meeting would be rescheduled to enable many stakeholders who cannot attend due to short notice be present.
He said, “This townhall meeting is not possible to be concluded with the absence of certain stakeholders, because of shortness of notice. Only the Emir of Zazzau is representing the traditional rulers; there are supposed to be at least seven of them, that is the chairmen of the traditional councils in the seven states of the zone.
“There are supposed to be religious and community leaders from each state of the Northwest but they have not been able to make it. Other key stakeholders are going round trying to calm the very tense situation in most parts of North west, because of events happening in other parts of Nigeria. There are many video clips circulating, many of which are fake, but have raised tension and agitation.
“But all of us as governors have gone round in the last two weeks, talking to stakeholders, including community and religious leaders to calm people down. Many of our traditional and religious leaders are engaged in that, not only within our states, but even in Abuja, that is why many of them are not here.
“This is why the National Security Adviser and the Service Chiefs felt that, this town hall meeting should be reconvened in the a week or so. That will give people adequate notice, to consult with the grassroot, so that we give our local intelligence to our service chiefs, so they can plan better how to address these challenges.
“Even with the short notice, that all the Governors and all the Secretary to the State Government of the seven states of the North West states are here. We do not govern from Abuja, we govern from our states and security is our number one priority, that is why all of us are here, even though others from our states are not here.
“Daily, the armed forces, the Civil Defence, the SSS, the police and others are losing lives. The bandits are becoming bolder; they even have the audacity now to attack military camps and ambush those on patrol. Lives are being lost, yet some people that are not informed say that nothing is being done.
“We pray for the souls of the deceased and we thank and commend the armed forces for what they are doing with other security agencies to make our states safer.”
