The nation’s Security Chiefs, the National Security Adviser, NSA, and the Minister of Defence, on Wednesday, held a closed-door meeting with the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where they pledged their loyalty to the Acting President.
The meeting provided the top military brass the opportunity to update Osinbajo on strategies being deployed to secure the country, and the level of success so far achieved.
This came at the heels of the report that President Muhammadu Buhari, who has been in the United Kingdom, UK, for more than one month now, would not be coming back anytime soon.
The Security Chiefs, were led to the meeting by the Minister of Defence, Brig- Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali.
Also present were: the NSA, Babagana Moguno; a retired Major General, Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, Lawal Daura; Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, General Gabriel Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ibas; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadiq Abubakar; Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris; among others.
Dan-Ali, in a brief remark at the commencement of the meeting, said: “On behalf of the Armed Forces and other security agencies, we pledge our total commitment and loyalty to the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.”
In an interview with State House Correspondents after the meeting, Osinbajo said it was a routine briefing of the security top brass.
He said: “It is even more important that we do so, because of some of the issues arising like the cases of kidnappings, and I wanted the IG to inform us fully.
Asked whether receiving briefs from the Security Chiefs was an indication that Buhari may not return anytime soon, Osinbajo said: “No, no, no! Almost every month, these briefings are held. It is routine and it is the President who puts in place this whole idea of regular briefing.”
The Acting President, disclosed that he would speak to President Buhari on telephone ‘tonight’ (yesterday), on what transpired at the security meeting with the Security Chiefs.
“The primary duty of government is to ensure the safety of lives and properties, and that is why we have to be regularly briefed. The good thing is that our men are doing extraordinarily well in the North-East, and that Southern Kaduna has also been contained.
The peace building process is also going on very well,” Osinbajo added.
The Acting President told Reporters that the Boko Haram, as a military force, has been degraded.
According to him: “They are not holding any territory at the moment; our Armed Forces have been able to dislodge them from practically all territories they were holding in the past.
What is happening now is just once in a while attacks by suicide bombers. By the nature of asymmetric warfare, we are not able to say it has ended now.
“But I think that militarily they have been contained, there is no question at all that Boko Haram, as a fighting force, has been degraded. We are still vigilant, because of their capacity to do damage with suicide bombers.
“I am very satisfied with what the military has done so far. And the briefing has shown graphically that they are really on top of their game, and that they are doing excellently well in the North-East,” the Acting President stressed.
Dan-Ali however added, that several high profile Boko Haram commanders were arrested, and over 20,000 persons mostly women and children held hostage by the terrorists, were rescued.
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