Naval Chief, Ekwe-Ibas says kidnapping has reduced after meeting with Buhari

The Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Ibok Ekwe-Ibas, Thursday, insisted that kidnapping has reduced across the country with the increased efforts of the security agencies.

Ekwe-Ibas stated this while briefing State House correspondents after a meeting of security chiefs with President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday.

According to the Naval chief, the President directed security agencies in the country to double their efforts in making sure that Nigerians are more secured.

Ekwe-Ibas, also disclosed that he and the other security chiefs at the meeting briefed the President on the proliferation of small arms and what the various agencies are doing to curtail the consequences of the development.

He revealed further that the President directed them to ensure that security agencies do much more to ensure that Nigerians go to bed and wake up feeling healthy and confident that their security is guaranteed.

Speaking further on kidnappings, the Navy chief said that during the last Security Council meeting, the Inspector-General of Police was directed to ensure that various operations were set up.

He said: “‘Puff Adder’ was one of the strategies. With the set up of that operation there has been a remarkable drop in the number of kidnappings. What normally would attract attention is when a key person in government perhaps is kidnapped.

“On the whole, the number of kidnappings has dropped and generally I think the security situation is improving.”

Ekwe-Ibas also commented on the kidnap of the District Head of Daura, the President’s home town, saying that “serious efforts are being made, key suspects have been arrested and it is hoped that in a short while, those behind the heinous crime will be brought to book.”

Other security chiefs at the meeting with Buhari were Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonishakin; and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar. The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Yusuf Buratai and the Director of National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Abubakar were represented.

Also present were the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno; Director-General of the Department of Security Service, Yusuf Bichi; Acting Inspector-General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu; the Minister of Interior, Gen. Abdulraman Danbazzau, and the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali.

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