President Muhammadu Buhari is currently presiding over a Security Meeting at the Statehouse in Abuja.
The meeting is taking place at the First Lady Conference room as renovations in the Council Chambers is still ongoing.
In attendance are the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo; Secretary to the Government of the Federation-Boss Mustapha; Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, and Defense Minister, Major-General Bashir Magashi (Rtd); and National Security Adviser, Major-General Babagana Monguno (Rtd).
Others present are the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, Chief of Army Staff; Lieutenant-General Ibrahim Attahiru, Chief of Naval Staff; Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu, and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Ishiaka Oladayo Amoo.
The acting Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Usman Alkali is also in attendance.
The meeting is coming at a time when the insecurity in the country has been on the increase.
Buhari Gives Marching Order
In March, the President ordered the Service Chiefs to identify the leaders of the bandits and kidnappers and take them out to restore confidence in the areas affected.
The President gave the directive as a first assignment to the Service Chiefs and declared that he would no longer condone a situation where kidnappers set the tone.
President Buhari also issued a warning to all those collaborating with criminals, promising to deal decisively with them.
The Service Chiefs on their part disclosed that they have identified weak areas that would be strengthened to appropriately fish out collaborators with non-state actors.
The National Security Adviser, Babagana Munguno had also reaffirmed the President’s resolve to tackling all forms of crimes across the country, explaining that all options will be explored.
“Mr. President has been very emphatic. He has stated clearly that this problem must be brought to an end, but using the traditional methods that the armed forces have been trained to deploy.
“Mr. President has made it very clear to both the intelligence and operational elements that the first assignment will be to identify the leaders of these bandits, kidnappers and take them out, in order to restore confidence in those areas”, he added.
