Security council admits Nigerians are in search of self-help - Nexus News

Nigerians are close to searching for self-help to tackle insecurity, the National Security Council (NSC) admits yesterday.

It portrayed the worsening insecurity as a “very difficult situation,” which may not be tackled by a “straight, cut-and-dried method”.

However, the council vowed that the Armed Forces would soon reestablish normalcy by adopting new strategies against terrorists and other criminal activities.

National Security Adviser (NSA) Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno briefed on the new scheme in Abuja, briefly after the Northeast elders called for his resignation.

Monguno, who spoke with Newsmen after the five-hour meeting at the Presidential Villa, said: “a whole of society approach” was required to effectively overcome “asymmetric conflict “ in the country.

He, therefore, implored Nigerians to help security, intelligence and armed agencies with vital information.

Monguno said: “The council has seen it necessary to inform the general public that fighting in this type of asymmetric conflict is a collective effort, it’s not something that should be confined to only the security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies. When we keep saying the whole of society approach, the whole of government approach, to get a whole of nation approach, what it means is that everybody has to partake in this enterprise.

“We are in a very difficult situation and the council understands. Mr President (Muhammadu) understands people’s concerns about the growing insecurity, but I can assure you that there’s no straight, cut-and-dried method of dealing with this thing unless all of us embrace each other.

“I know people are wary, people are tired, people are beginning to gravitate to other places for self-help. The truth is that help is rooted in everyone working for the other person.

“The truth is that no country can ever overcome the difficulties of an asymmetric conflict by virtue of the fact that the enemy of the state is embedded within the population, within the wider society. It is true that the local people are averse, they’re scared, they’re worried and there’s no confidence. That is understandable.

“But without their support, without their cooperation in terms of giving information, it makes it very hard for the operational elements.”.

Monguno also referred to the Kuje Medium Custodial Centre and the assassination of Guards’ Brigade personnel in Bwari in the Federal Capital Territory. He noted that the attacks would have been averted, if the residents had informed security agencies.

His words: “A few days ago, troops of the Guards Brigade were ambushed and decimated. Had there been a collective effort by way of just snippets of information, we might have averted that incident. That is not to say that the responsibility is for those outside the security domain, it’s a collective responsibility.”

Monguno implored the media and politicians to be sensitive in their words, stating that some reports have elements that could aggravate the already volatile situation in the country.

He added: “Equally, the political elite is also urged to take into account the consequences of utterances, especially from people who have established a reputation, people who are considered leaders of thought, and people who are considered to have some kind of influence in society. Whatever goes out may be harmful, not just to the government, if that is the intention, which I doubt may not be a deliberate thing, but at the end of the day, it will affect the wider society.”

The meeting was graced by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation; Boss Mustapha; Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari; Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola; Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyema; Police Affairs Minister Mohammed Dingyadi and Defense Minister Bashir Magashi.

Chief of Defense Staff Lucky Irabor; Chief of Army Staff Farouk Yahaya; Chief of Naval Staff Awwal Gambo; Chief of Air Staff, Isiaka Amao; and Chief of Defense Intelligence Samuel Adebayo were also in attendance.

Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali, Director-General of the Department of State Service (DSS), Yusuf Bichi; and Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Ahmed Abubakar were also present at the meeting.

Northeast elders solicits for NSA’s resignation

The Northeast Elders for Peace and Development (NEEPD) implored Buhari to sack Monguno and replace him with another Nigerian that would bring a fresh idea to the anti-terror war.

They said: “Mr President, for the sake of posterity and the future of our children, sack the National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd) now.

“We would like to start by reminding the public that, as Northeast elders, we are kinsmen of the NSA and that our love for him is reflected in the support and encouragement we showed him over the years.

“We are, however, constrained to seek his replacement now, considering the worsening state of insecurity in Nigeria, occasioned by terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and the like.

“In times of national emergency, groups, institutions, and people of goodwill must set aside primordial sentiments, and stand on the side of patriotism, truth, justice and fairness.”

Be proactive, APC charge security agencies

Also yesterday, Northwest All Progressives Congress (APC) seeked for proactive measures by security agencies in tackling the security crisis.

The call was contained in a press release issued after its fact-finding tour of the seven Northwest states by its zonal Publicity Secretary, Malam Musa Mada.

The regional chapter said: “The Federal Government has been very responsive to the needs of security agencies in the country, party leaders appeal to all the security services to live up to the expectations of Nigerians by bringing to an immediate end the menace of insecurity ravaging every part of the country.

“Like in Sokoto and Zamfara, security challenges facing the Zone took a center stage where the participants urged for proactive measures to address challenges of insecurity in every part of the country.”