The Nation Newspaper

Tag: security chiefs

  • Reps summon Buhari over security situation 

    …pass vote of no confidence on Services Chiefs

     

    President Muhammadu Buhari is to appear at plenary before members of the House of Representatives to answer questions over security situation in the country.

    Though the date is yet to be fixed, President Buhari is expected to be confronted with the question of sacking his military and security chiefs having being accused of failure over the country’s security of lives and property.

    The lawmakers passed a vote of no confidence on the Service Chiefs.

    The House will also suspend legislative sittings for three days in solidarity with victims of the killings around the country.

    Furthermore, the House has asked that killer herdsmen are declares as terrorists, while all cattle rearers must undergo security profiling.

    The decision of the lawmakers followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance by Mark Gbilah (APC, Benue), who said the Federal government failed in its primary responsibility of welfare and security of lives and property to the people of his State.

    Citing the killing of two clergymen and others on Tuesday, Gbilah said killing of people in their homes at night has not stopped despite numerous appeals to the Federal government for intervention.

    According to him, army personnel deployed from the 72 Army battalion in Makurdi to quell the incessant murder in Gwer East, Gwer West and several other Local Govermemt Areas (LGAs) by armed herdsmen took the law into their hands in a blatant display of brigandage and criminality and attacked Naka town in retaliation for the alleged murder of one of their colleagues.

    He said Benue state government has repeatedly raised alarm to security agencies about the alleged location of the attackers near Adaka in Makurdi LGA and Gbaji Gwer West LGA from where recent attacks were launched against neighboring communities.

    He regretted that security agencies curiously do not employ a proactive strategy to preemptively attack the locations or carry out continuous surveillance of identified flash points.

    Another lawmaker from Benue, Dickson Tarkighin (APC) said the people of Benue have lost faith in Nigeria while adding that the killers were from Nasarawa and other neighbouring states.

    Edward Pwajok (APC, Plateau) said the security chiefs should be summoned to face the lawmakers and be interrogated in the full glare of the world.

    Nicholas Ossai (PDP, Delta) said the President has breached the constitution by failing in his primary responsibility to the nation and that the House should not be afraid to activate the relevant provision for such breaches.

    Kehinde Agboola (PDP, Ekiti) said: “It is like the leadership of this country is confused, if the President cannot resign, he should sack the Service Chiefs”.

    On his part, Deputy Minority Leader, Chukwuka Onyeama urged his colleagues to be decisive in their decision and call the President to order.

    Sunday karimi (PDP, Kogi) said Nigerians are disappointed in the President, “Buhari is not the Buhari of 1985. Nigerians gave him a strong mandate.

    “He has changed, he has failed to move the nation forward, Section 143 should be invoked,” he said.

    Aliyu Magaji (APC, Jigawa) said though he belonged to the ruling party but President Buhari has not shown enough capacity to convince Nigerians that he is capable of tackling the many challenges facing the country.

    “Enough  is enough, this beyond sentiment, the Service chief must go, if there is no Nigeria, we cannot be here,” he said.

    The motion was unanimously adopted after it was put to a voice vote by Speaker Yakubu Dogara.

    Read Also: Reps mull impeachment proceeding against Buhari over $496m military equipment spending

     

  • Nigerians in diaspora knock Senate over resolution on security chiefs

    Nigerians in the Diaspora under the auspices of Nigerians in Diasporas Monitoring Group, NDMG, have stated that the recent call by the Senate for President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the nation’s service chiefs is in furtherance of their ploy to separate the President from his appointees who are diligent.

    The Nigerians living abroad dismissed the state of insecurity on which the lawmakers predicated their call as a smokescreen, stressing that security breaches that would have been insignificant in the past are now being highlighted for public attention owing to the dearth of more devastating news.

    NDMG, which reacted in a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its Secretary-General, Uchenna D. Okereke, stated that the disposition of the senators can demoralise troops in the battle front and give Boko Haram terrorists an upper hand.

    The group maintained that the demand being made by the senators on Buhari is politically motivated and an integral part of  manoeuvring for the 2019 general elections, stressing that the senators do not have the capacity to assess the ongoing war against terrorism, and that hiring of experts is not enough to educate lawmakers on the enormity of what the military contend with in the theatre of war.

    The statement reads in full…

    The Nigerians in Diasporas Monitoring Group [NDMG] is dismayed by the demand from the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria asking that the military service chiefs be changed. The security situation in the country, which Senators cited as their reason, is nothing but a smokescreen given their history of continually trying to isolate President Muhammadu Buhari from the performing ones among his appointees.

    NDMG is saddened that the demand by the lawmakers is premised on anecdotal evidences and not the subject of statistical analyses that would have showed that there has been improvement in the responsiveness to security breaches on the part of the Armed Forces. The reality is that incidences that would have been insignificant in the past are now highlighted for public attention for lack of more devastating news; interpreting this as bad has the tendency to demoralize troops and hand the initiative to terrorists.

    Coming from lawmakers, who are statutorily expected to use their position to promote peace and stability in the country, we find the demand disconcerting and worrisome. This is especially so when information emanating from certain quarters confirm that the demand is politically motivated and an integral part of the 2019 General Elections manoeuvring.

    We invite the Senators to take cognisance of their place as politicians who may not have the requisite competences to assess the counter-insurgency war; this is also not a field where consultants can bring the lawmakers up to speed since it takes those in the war theatre to fully appreciate the enormity of what the military contend with on a minute by minute basis.

    The safety and security of Nigerians is more important than the political gains derivable from maligning the military. We therefore align with the individuals and organizations that had challenged the Senate to come up with legislative interventions aimed at bolstering the military’s capacity to combat the evolving threats facing the country instead of searching for scapegoats. In this, we recommend that the federal lawmakers understudy their contemporaries around the world to understand the kind of support the military requires to combat terrorism.

    We further challenge the lawmakers to be decisive in charting a course for the future of policing in Nigeria so that the military services can re-focus on their constitutional mandates without the distraction of cleaning up situations that do not require military deployments in other climes. This must concomitantly be backed with realistic budgeting, which a simple comparative analysis with other country will show is totally lacking when what they spend on their armies is considered.

     

     

    While we advise the Senate to walk back its poorly thought out position, we use this opportunity to appeal to the military chiefs and the troops under their commands not to be discouraged by the demand from the lawmakers. They should see the call as a minor skirmish in the psychological component of the ongoing counter-insurgency operation. Nigerians, the electorates who these lawmakers represent, greatly appreciate what the service chiefs have done so far.

     

     

    Nigeria shall prevail against every primordial interest or sentiment by its traducers and become great again for all her citizens in the nearest future. Let us continue to believe and support the performing ones like the current crop of Service Chiefs in our country.

    Uchenna D. Okereke

    Secretary- General

  • Insecurity may threaten 2019 polls, security chiefs warn

    Insecurity may threaten 2019 polls, security chiefs warn

    Top security chiefs have warned that insecurity around the country should be brought down because it is capable of threatening the 2019 general elections, it was learnt yesterday.

    The security chiefs according to sources, told participants at the just-concluded national security summit organised by the Senate in Abuja.

    They were said to have cautioned that stringent and decisive measures should be taken to address the situation in the interest of the country.

    The security chiefs briefed senators and other stakeholders behind closed doors at the Nigeria Air Force Conference Centre venue of the Summit.

    Insiders at the secretive briefing said that the security chiefs painted a bad picture of the evolving scenario and warned of dire consequences if nothing was done urgently to arrest the situation.

    One of the sources noted that the point was made clear that unless decisive action was taken to arrest the worrisome clashes between “farmers and herdsmen, kidnappings, terrorism and other social vices, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) might be hindered in its plan for the elections.

    He said that the security chiefs made it clear that the support of stakeholders in the country was required to salvage the situation.

    “It was a frank talk. Heads of all the security agencies briefed us. You know it was a closed-session and many things were said which I cannot relay to you. We were scared about some of the things we heard. They were indeed scary and must be taken seriously.”

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who inaugurated the summit last Thursday highlighted measures government is taking to restore peace and order in the country.

    Osinbajo specifically decaled it was no longer realistic to police a country as huge as Nigerian from the capital city of Abuja.

    Senate ad-hoc committee led by the Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, is expected to submit resolutions of the summit to the Senate in plenary. Discussion on the way forward is likely to be held in camera.

  • NSA, other top security chiefs to address summit

    The Summit on National Security being organised by the National Assembly in collaboration with the Executive will today receive presentations from heads of military and para-military organisations, including the National Security Adviser (NSA)and other service chiefs.

    Also expected at the day-two summit are traditional rulers, cultural groups and religious leaders, who are expected to give their perspective on the country’s security situation and how to permanently address the crisis.

    A statement by the Office of the Senate President said top security chiefs expected to make presentations and discuss the theme: “Managing Internal Security Threats” include: National Security Adviser Mohammed Monguno and Chief of Army Staff Lt-Gen. Yusuf Buratai.

    Chief of Naval Staff, Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service and the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps are also expected to present papers at the event.

     

  • Buhari, security chiefs meet over herdsmen/farmers clashes

    Buhari, security chiefs meet over herdsmen/farmers clashes

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday met with security chiefs towards tackling the herdsmen and farmers clashes in the country.

    The Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, briefed State House correspondents at the end of the meeting.

    According to him, several issues including the country’s security challenges were discussed at the meeting.

    He blamed the blockage of grazing routes for the recurring clashes between herdsmen and farmers in several parts of the country.

    The minister also disclosed that Nigeria is planning to buy jets from the United States.

    He said his ministry and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) would set up a committee to work out the modalities for the transformation of the Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons to a National Commission.

     

     

     

  • Buhari, security chiefs meet in Aso Rock

    Buhari, security chiefs meet in Aso Rock

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday met with security chiefs at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The meeting is to review current security situations in the country.

    It was still in progress at the time of filing this report.

  • IPOB: Senate to meet security chiefs

    IPOB: Senate to meet security chiefs

    Senate President Bukola Saraki said yesterday that the Senate would meet with security chiefs to chart a path for resolution of contentious issues genetrating tension in the South-East.

    He said that the meeting would address the tension in the South-East and the skirmishes in Plateau.

    Saraki said security agencies, political and religious leaders must work for the promotion of dialogue as means for tackling agitations to ensure peace.

    In the statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki urged Nigerians to maintain the peace and avoid statements or actions capable of aggravating tension. The president of the senate said that the crises in the country were not unconnected to the economic challenges being faced by citizens.

    “The tension in some parts of the country has its roots substantially in the economic situation.

    “The nation should be assured that some of the legislative and executive actions taken to address the economic problems are beginning to yield fruits.

    “This is why we recently witnessed the rebound of the economy and the exit of the country from recession,” he said.

    He called for calm among the people, especially in the South-East and Plateau, saying that the government required the cooperation of everyone in solving all problems.

    “I want to appeal to our people to avoid stoking ethnic or religious fires. We should not deepen the fault lines of our nation and place citizens in danger of violence and sustained crises.

    “The government requires the support of all Nigerians and we should please give peace a chance. No real development or genuine economic activity can take place in the midst of crisis or tension.

    “Investments and development thrive only where there is peace,” Saraki said.

    He advised political, community and religious leaders to take actions that would douse the tension and reassure the people that the best way was for us to live together in peace and harmony.

    “All leaders at this point must canvass support for government and preach peace, love and harmony.

    “Once again, I plead with our people to avoid taking laws into their hands or antagonizing our neighbours,” he added.

  • Security chiefs brief Buhari in Aso Villa

    Security chiefs brief Buhari in Aso Villa

    Two security chiefs yesterday briefed President Muhammadu Buhari on the security situations in the country.
    The security chiefs included the Chief of Army Staff (CAS), Tukur Buratai and the Chief of Air Staff, Sadiq Abubakar.
    The closed-door meeting was held in the President’s office.
    Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, Buratai said: “I visited the commander-in-chief to update him on the security situation that the army is involved and defending the territorial integrity of the country, the welfare of the troops and the state of our general administration.

  • El-Rufai, security chiefs meet over Kaduna killings

    El-Rufai, security chiefs meet over Kaduna killings

    Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and security chiefs yesterday visited Kafanchan, Jema’a Local Government Area,to commiserate with the traditional rulers and victims of the destruction which followed Monday’s protest.
    The team visited the Emir of Jema’a, Alhaji Muhammadu Isah Muhammadu, Chief of Kagoro, Ufoi Bonet and Chief of Marwa, Tagwai Sambo. The governor appealed to aggrieved parties to sheath their sword and embrace peace.
    According to El-Rufai, there was no need for reprisal attacks since the government was working to put necessary security measures in place to protect lives and maintain law and order.
    “I and the Deputy Governor took the oath of office to protect lives and property of the citizens, and we are committed to ensuring this is achieved.
    “Traditional rulers should please talk to their subjects against taking vengeance each time there is a problem,” El-Rufai said.
    The governor, however, lauded Alhaji Muhammadu for stopping his subjects from fighting when crisis erupted during the rally, which according to him, left the government with no option than to impose a 24-hour curfew on Kafanchan.
    El-Rufai also enjoined the leaders, irrespective of background, to support the peace process, calm the people and remind them that the government is taking proactive measures to stop the killings and restore peace in Southern Kaduna.
    The governor further appealed: “Please if there is any suspicious movement or information about impending attacks, report immediately or send me a text message and we would take steps to contain it.”
    In their separate remarks, the Emir of Jema’a, Chief of Kagoro and Chief of Moroa lauded El-Rufai for his commitment and the government’s resolve to restore peace to Southern Kaduna.
    They assured the governor of their commitment to ensure peace reigns in their chiefdoms.

  • Reps meet service chiefs over insecurity

    Reps meet service chiefs over insecurity

    The House of Representatives, on Monday in Abuja met with the nation’s security chiefs to find solution to the incessant destruction of lives and property across the country.

    The lawmakers particularly expressed concern over the situation in Aba, Abia, Abuja and other capital cities in the country.

    Speaking at the meeting, Chairman, House Committee on Army, Shawulu Kwewum, emphasized the need to ensure safety of the citizens at all times.

    According to him, it is unfortunate that Abia, as one of the original nine oil producing states, is naturally affected by some of the challenges facing the oil-bearing states.

    Kwewum said that records from the Nigerian Police made available to the committee in Umuahia, showed that five kidnapping incidents were recorded in January, 2016.

    He, however, said that the victims were eventually rescued.

    Kwewum explained that a single kidnap case in any location in the country would not be acceptable and therefore, said that all hands must be on deck to ensure that this menace was completely addressed.

    “At a town hall meeting, several groups and individuals told the committee that at least five persons are kidnapped every day in Aba.

    “Three incidents were recorded in February, 2016 and the three were rescued and released.

    “Also in March 2016, four incidents were recorded; three were rescued while one died. In April, 2016, one incident was recorded while two incidents were recorded in May, 2016.

    “Of course, this has become more urgent because kidnapping has become widespread and even the federal capital territory is not a safe haven.

    “This meeting has become very important because the technology developed to make life easy for Nigerians is now being used to facilitate the extortion that goes with kidnapping,” Kwewum said.

    He said that due to the spate of kidnappings of innocent citizens, many businesses were folding up in Aba.

    He further said that the security situation had taken a new trend considering the killings of armed security operatives.

    Responding on behalf of the security agencies, acting Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, commended the committee for convening the meeting.

    Idris, who was represented by a Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Force Headquarters, Joshak Habila, assured that ongoing collaboration among security agencies would rid the country of crimes and provide security.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was attended by representatives of Department of State Security (DSS), Nigerian Police and Nigerian Army.