Insecurity: FG To Focus On Fixing Judicial System, Unemployment, Others — Monguno

The National Security Council (NSC) presided over by President
Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday, assessed circumstances and factors
that have been impeding the success of the fight against insecurity
and approved considered solutions.

Among the steps to be taken to achieve quick wins in the ongoing
crusade include revisiting the effectiveness of the nation’s
judicial system, increased efforts at reducing unemployment and
poverty as well as tackling factors described as enablers of crime,
one of which is the menace of drug abuse.

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Major-General Babagana
Monguno (Rtd), who led the Chief of Defense Staff, General Lucky
Irabor, and the acting Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali
Baba, to brief State House Correspondents after the NSC meeting in
the Presidential Villa, disclosed this during the briefing.

According to the NSA, President Buhari had already given
specific instructions to all the various sectors of the nation’s
security architecture on carrying out their part of the new
strategy.

“The National Security Council has met three times in 11 days.
The first two meetings were inconclusive, but today’s meeting is
the final in the three meetings. Again, Mr. President’s concern at
the growing trend of insecurity has been highlighted and the
meeting, basically, was briefed by the National Security Adviser,
the Chief of Defense Staff and the Inspector-General Police.

“I briefed the meeting on strategic issues in relation to
security, while the Chief of Defense Staff briefed on operational
issues, and Inspector General of Police briefed on constabulary
matters. On my part, I briefed Council on the enablers of crime and
the need to find quick responses with a view to mitigating the
growing threats to society.

“These enablers are discussed in detail and Mr. President has
already given direction on how to deal with them, specifically
issues of drug abuse as propellants for crime, how to make the
criminal justice system much more effective, as well as looking at
issues of unemployment, which of course, the federal executive
council had given an approval, through previous memos on how to get
100 million people out of poverty, that was also discussed. Then,
again, the lack of an effective crime reporting system.

“Again, the President has given direction on how to make these
things effective. Already, the NCC has been given certain
instructions on how to deal with this, but by and by Council has
agreed that the level of insecurity in the country, especially in
the last one month, is something that has to be addressed with the
immediacy that it requires and at the operational level, of course,
the Chief of Defense Staff has been working with the service chiefs
and the recommendations they’ve made to the Council are already
being handled,” he said.

On his part, the acting IGP, Usman Baba, said President Buhari
had approved new security measures for combating the situations in
the Southeast and South-South regions of the country.

Baba, who like the NSA refused to disclose details of the new
instructions and plans for combating the situations in different
parts of the country, however, appealed to the public to assist the
security in achieving success.

“I want to also follow suit with my colleagues and inform you
that the Security Council meeting, which has taken place three
times during the last 11days, has assessed the situation in the
country, particularly Southeast and South-South, as it affects law
and order and we have some measures that have been approved by the
Council to check.

“We have some measures which we have outlined and have been
approved by the Council and we’ll see how we can change the
narrative within the quickest possible means to restore law and
order and restore peace in that area”, he said.

On his part, the Chief of Defense Staff, General Irabor,
disclosed that the Council had been briefed on the activities of
the armed forces so far and had considered their various needs.

“No doubt, far-reaching decisions were made. On our part, just
as the National Security Adviser indicated, I briefed on various
measures that the Armed Forces, in partnership with other security
agencies, the measures we’ve taken to stem the tide of insecurity
across the country.

“The council was pleased with the actions and of course, the
prayers that were made, which Council has also graciously
undertaken to look into.

“These, of course, have to do with manpower development,
training and equipment issues, and thankfully, the glow on my face
should, of course, give you an indication as to the graciousness of
the National Security Council, in relation to the briefings that
we’ve given in this regard and I believe that going forward, we
shall be translating that and it will have some great impact on the
security disposition across the country,” he said.

The National Security Council (NSC) presided over by President
Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday, assessed circumstances and factors
that have been impeding the success of the fight against insecurity
and approved considered solutions.

Among the steps to be taken to achieve quick wins in the ongoing
crusade include revisiting the effectiveness of the nation’s
judicial system, increased efforts at reducing unemployment and
poverty as well as tackling factors described as enablers of crime,
one of which is the menace of drug abuse.

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Major-General Babagana
Monguno (Rtd), who led the Chief of Defense Staff, General Lucky
Irabor, and the acting Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali
Baba, to brief State House Correspondents after the NSC meeting in
the Presidential Villa, disclosed this during the briefing.

According to the NSA, President Buhari had already given
specific instructions to all the various sectors of the nation’s
security architecture on carrying out their part of the new
strategy.

“The National Security Council has met three times in 11 days.
The first two meetings were inconclusive, but today’s meeting is
the final in the three meetings. Again, Mr. President’s concern at
the growing trend of insecurity has been highlighted and the
meeting, basically, was briefed by the National Security Adviser,
the Chief of Defense Staff and the Inspector-General Police.

“I briefed the meeting on strategic issues in relation to
security, while the Chief of Defense Staff briefed on operational
issues, and Inspector General of Police briefed on constabulary
matters. On my part, I briefed Council on the enablers of crime and
the need to find quick responses with a view to mitigating the
growing threats to society.

“These enablers are discussed in detail and Mr. President has
already given direction on how to deal with them, specifically
issues of drug abuse as propellants for crime, how to make the
criminal justice system much more effective, as well as looking at
issues of unemployment, which of course, the federal executive
council had given an approval, through previous memos on how to get
100 million people out of poverty, that was also discussed. Then,
again, the lack of an effective crime reporting system.

“Again, the President has given direction on how to make these
things effective. Already, the NCC has been given certain
instructions on how to deal with this, but by and by Council has
agreed that the level of insecurity in the country, especially in
the last one month, is something that has to be addressed with the
immediacy that it requires and at the operational level, of course,
the Chief of Defense Staff has been working with the service chiefs
and the recommendations they’ve made to the Council are already
being handled,” he said.

On his part, the acting IGP, Usman Baba, said President Buhari
had approved new security measures for combating the situations in
the Southeast and South-South regions of the country.

Baba, who like the NSA refused to disclose details of the new
instructions and plans for combating the situations in different
parts of the country, however, appealed to the public to assist the
security in achieving success.

“I want to also follow suit with my colleagues and inform you
that the Security Council meeting, which has taken place three
times during the last 11days, has assessed the situation in the
country, particularly Southeast and South-South, as it affects law
and order and we have some measures that have been approved by the
Council to check.

“We have some measures which we have outlined and have been
approved by the Council and we’ll see how we can change the
narrative within the quickest possible means to restore law and
order and restore peace in that area”, he said.

On his part, the Chief of Defense Staff, General Irabor,
disclosed that the Council had been briefed on the activities of
the armed forces so far and had considered their various needs.

“No doubt, far-reaching decisions were made. On our part, just
as the National Security Adviser indicated, I briefed on various
measures that the Armed Forces, in partnership with other security
agencies, the measures we’ve taken to stem the tide of insecurity
across the country.

“The council was pleased with the actions and of course, the
prayers that were made, which Council has also graciously
undertaken to look into.

“These, of course, have to do with manpower development,
training and equipment issues, and thankfully, the glow on my face
should, of course, give you an indication as to the graciousness of
the National Security Council, in relation to the briefings that
we’ve given in this regard and I believe that going forward, we
shall be translating that and it will have some great impact on the
security disposition across the country,” he said.