BOKO HARAM, HATE SPEECHES: Buhari meets security chiefs

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday met with heads of security agencies in the country at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Those seen arriving for the meeting included the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff, the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of the Department of State Security and the Acting Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonishakin, who later made the details of the meeting known to State House correspondents, said that the president directed the security chiefs to ensure that Nigeria remains one as he stated in his nationwide broadcast on Monday.

President Buhari had in the Monday broadcast vowed to clampdown on Boko Haram and other criminal elements in the country, saying that Nigeria’s unity is “settled and not negotiable”.

He had further said, “We shall not allow irresponsible elements to start trouble and when things get bad they run away and saddle others with the responsibility of bringing back order, if necessary with their blood.”

According to Olonishakin, President Buhari during the Tuesday meeting asked the service chiefs to make sure that the directive is implemented to the letter and that they must ensure that the life and property of Nigerians are protected.

Buhari was said to have also instructed the service chiefs to ensure that they secure the nation and see that troops outside the country effectively carry out their jobs.

He said, “In his address, the President talked about the unity of the nation which is non-negotiable. We have all been fully instructed to ensure that that directive is carried out to the letter.”

Olonishakin further said that the security chiefs also used the opportunity to update Buhari on all security issues within and outside the country where the nation’s troops are.

Asked to comment on Buhari’s position on the Indigenous People of Biafra’s secret service he said, “All security threats were treated one after the other ranging from terrorism to kidnapping, herdsmen/farmers clash, to IPOB issue. They were all treated. Comments were made as to what to do as regards those issues.”

Further probed on whether Nigeria Army will mobilise forces to the South East, the defence chief said, “Every security issue, like I said, has been treated and we are going to enhance our operations in all the areas we need to do that. Like I said, he has given the necessary directives which will be carried out by the military and the security agencies.”

On Boko Haram, Olonishakin argued that despite the recent incessant attacks by the sect, that it would be wrong to assume that the terrorist group has stepped up their game.

He said, “On the Boko Haram issue, you all know it is an asymmetric warfare. It is not that the Boko Haram has stepped up their game. It is just the issue of suicide bombing that has been the problem and of course we also working with the security agencies and the intelligence agencies to make sure that we address that menace.”

 

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