President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday held an emergency meeting with the nation’s security chiefs in what was believed to be part of efforts aimed at curtailing the security challenges being witnessed across the country.
The meeting, which was also attended by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, was held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Apart from Osinbajo, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali; Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; and the National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd), also attended.
The meeting was an extended one, as the number of participants was extended to accommodate the heads of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Fire Service, Federal Road Safety Commission, Nigeria Prisons Service and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
These are apart from the service chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, who meet with the President regularly.
Service chiefs who attended the meeting included the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai; Chief of Naval Staff, Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas; and the Chief of Air Staff, Sadique Abubakar.
Others are the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Lawal Daura; and the Director-General of the Nigeria Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Abubakar.
The meeting was held amidst concerns over the spate of killings by people suspected to be herdsmen in some parts of the country, and abductions in other parts.
Although none of those who attended the meeting was willing to speak with State House correspondents when approached for comments at the end of the meeting, President Nuhari on his twitter handle said his government is determined to addressed all security concerns in the country.
“We fully understand the seriousness & urgency of Nigeria’s security issues, and are determined to implement carefully considered solutions that will not only earn the confidence of Nigerians, but also stand the test of time determined to implement carefully considered solutions that will not only earn the confidence of Nigerians, but also stand the test of time,” Buhari said in a tweet.
