The National Security Council (NSC) presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday, assessed circumstances and factors that have been impeding the success of the fight against insecurity and approved considered solutions.
Among the steps to be taken to achieve quick wins in the ongoing crusade include revisiting the effectiveness of the nation’s judicial system, increased efforts at reducing unemployment and poverty as well as tackling factors described as enablers of crime, one of which is the menace of drug abuse.
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Major-General Babagana Monguno (Rtd), who led the Chief of Defense Staff, General Lucky Irabor, and the acting Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, to brief State House Correspondents after the NSC meeting in the Presidential Villa, disclosed this during the briefing.
According to the NSA, President Buhari had already given specific instructions to all the various sectors of the nation’s security architecture on carrying out their part of the new strategy.
“The National Security Council has met three times in 11 days. The first two meetings were inconclusive, but today’s meeting is the final in the three meetings. Again, Mr. President’s concern at the growing trend of insecurity has been highlighted and the meeting, basically, was briefed by the National Security Adviser, the Chief of Defense Staff and the Inspector-General Police.
“I briefed the meeting on strategic issues in relation to security, while the Chief of Defense Staff briefed on operational issues, and Inspector General of Police briefed on constabulary matters. On my part, I briefed Council on the enablers of crime and the need to find quick responses with a view to mitigating the growing threats to society.
“These enablers are discussed in detail and Mr. President has already given direction on how to deal with them, specifically issues of drug abuse as propellants for crime, how to make the criminal justice system much more effective, as well as looking at issues of unemployment, which of course, the federal executive council had given an approval, through previous memos on how to get 100 million people out of poverty, that was also discussed. Then, again, the lack of an effective crime reporting system.
“Again, the President has given direction on how to make these things effective. Already, the NCC has been given certain instructions on how to deal with this, but by and by Council has agreed that the level of insecurity in the country, especially in the last one month, is something that has to be addressed with the immediacy that it requires and at the operational level, of course, the Chief of Defense Staff has been working with the service chiefs and the recommendations they’ve made to the Council are already being handled,” he said.
On his part, the acting IGP, Usman Baba, said President Buhari had approved new security measures for combating the situations in the Southeast and South-South regions of the country.
Baba, who like the NSA refused to disclose details of the new instructions and plans for combating the situations in different parts of the country, however, appealed to the public to assist the security in achieving success.
“I want to also follow suit with my colleagues and inform you that the Security Council meeting, which has taken place three times during the last 11days, has assessed the situation in the country, particularly Southeast and South-South, as it affects law and order and we have some measures that have been approved by the Council to check.
“We have some measures which we have outlined and have been approved by the Council and we’ll see how we can change the narrative within the quickest possible means to restore law and order and restore peace in that area”, he said.
On his part, the Chief of Defense Staff, General Irabor, disclosed that the Council had been briefed on the activities of the armed forces so far and had considered their various needs.
“No doubt, far-reaching decisions were made. On our part, just as the National Security Adviser indicated, I briefed on various measures that the Armed Forces, in partnership with other security agencies, the measures we’ve taken to stem the tide of insecurity across the country.
“The council was pleased with the actions and of course, the prayers that were made, which Council has also graciously undertaken to look into.
“These, of course, have to do with manpower development, training and equipment issues, and thankfully, the glow on my face should, of course, give you an indication as to the graciousness of the National Security Council, in relation to the briefings that we’ve given in this regard and I believe that going forward, we shall be translating that and it will have some great impact on the security disposition across the country,” he said. (Thenigerialawyer)
