President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday held an emergency meeting with Security Chief. After the over two hours meeting, the service chiefs refused to comment on what the president and his vice discussed with them.
But President Buhari has disclosed that he urged the security chiefs to step up “intelligence gathering and sharing” to help them stay ahead of the insecurity challenges in the country.
The President, who gave the challenge on his official twitter handle; @MBuhari, was speaking on the outcome of the meeting of the National Security Council, which he presided over at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday.
President Buhari charged the Police and the DSS to step up their efforts and capacity in checking the activities of criminals across the country.
According to him, the nation’s law enforcement agencies must at all times stay ahead of bandits and criminals.
The President’s post read: “The One of the resolutions from our Security Meeting today is that all our law enforcement agencies must take intelligence-gathering and sharing much more seriously. The Police and DSS especially have been charged to step up their efforts and capacity in this regard.
“Our law enforcement agencies must at all times stay ahead of bandits and criminals, wherever they are across the country, by efficiently gathering, sharing and acting on credible Intelligence. I am assuring that we will give them all the support needed to succeed.
“Let me also assure that all persons arrested so far, including those arrested for illegally possessing arms, will be duly prosecuted. I urge judicial officers to be alive to their responsibilities in this regard, to enable the speedy dispensation of justice.’’
The President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, who also spoke on the outcome of the meeting, said the meeting discussed all things that constituted security risks to the nation and solutions were offered by participants of the meeting.
Those who attended Monday’s security meeting were: Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, 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). Others are 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; Director-General of the Department of State Services, Lawal Daura; and the Director-General of the Nigeria Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Abubakar.
Also, at the meeting were heads of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Fire Service, Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigeria Prisons Service and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
