Apparently embarrassed by the growing insecurity in the country, president Muhammadu Buhari yesterday charged the security chiefs to put an end to selective abduction and killing, particularly in the north central and northwest.
The president specifically directed the security chiefs to redouble their efforts to restore security across the country so that citizens could go about their businesses without let or hindrance.
The minister of defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (retd) and the inspector general of police, Mr. Usman Baba, disclosed this to journalists after a meeting between the president and the security chiefs in Abuja yesterday.
Addressing the media Magashi expressed the government’s concern about the unfolding insecurity in Zamfara State and the north central, but assured that the military was determined to change the narrative.
“We believe that the rate at which these things are happening in Zamfara State and north central is a source of concern to the government and to all agencies that are responsible for the execution of the operations in the north central.
“We discussed the need for urgency in our dealing with the bandits. We believe they’re becoming a nuisance; killing people, they are doing what they like, they make careless statements, they say what they think they should say in order to solicit the kind of audience they want from the society.”
The defence minister said the meeting also appraised the developments, generally, which required all hands on deck.
“We have appraised our position, we’ve found that we are capable, we can do this thing, but we need the cooperation of every Nigerian in order to ensure a free society.
“Security, as far as this country is concerned, is the paramount important thing. Without security, nothing will happen and the commander-in-chief has emphasised this today that without security, nothing can go on. So, he has directed us to find ways, tactics and style with which we can get out of this and we assured him.”
He also announced that six more Tucano jets would be in the country by next week to boost the fight against insurgency and other criminal activities in the country.
The minister said the first six that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) took delivery of recently were undergoing a test run.
“We are just testing the Tucano jets. Six are still coming by the end of, maybe, next week. So, when the 12 of them are here, I think the Chief of Air Staff will brief you on the operations that they are to undertake as soon as possible,” he said.
Also speaking, Baba said the president had directed sustained action to end the menace of selective abduction and killings in the North-central and North-west geopolitical zones.
“The new marching order is that all the service chiefs and intelligence chiefs have been warned to go and reinvigorate efforts and to do more so that the north central and Nigeria at large should enjoy better security.”
He acknowledged government’s responsibility to secure the citizenry saying more needed to be done to change the insecurity narrative pervading the north central and northwest, as well as other parts of the country.
“The president also observed and made a remark that the constitutional responsibility of government is the provision of security, and he is ready to provide such. We should reinvigorate our efforts, which are yielding results in the North-east, South-east.
“But there is more to be done in the North-central, North-west, where people are worried and he has intelligence and information that schoolchildren and students are abducted, selective abductions and killings are done. This narrative must change.”
The police chief also said the security chiefs had assured the president that they would try their best to improve the security narrative.
“We have assured him and promised that we will make efforts to do more. He also thanked and praised us for what has been done so far; that we should improve much so that people can go about their lawful businesses within the quickest possible means,” he said.
