From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja.
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved new security measures specifically for the South East and South South geo-political zones of the country.
This was even as a decision has been taken not to publicise measures to be deployed to tackle insecurity in the country, henceforth, for a more effective result.
The Council has agreed that the level of insecurity in the country, especially, in the last one month must be reversed.
The acting Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, who, alongside the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (retd) and Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, briefed journalists, yesterday, said president Buhari gave the approval during the security meeting he presided overat the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday.
They security chiefs were also joined by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, who noted that President Buhari presiding over the Security Council three times in two weeks “shows the premium he and his administration has placed on security issues.”
He said: “We have some measures, which we have outlined and have been approvedby 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.
“We solicit all law abiding citizens to work with us to identify and deal with the situation. That is that, I may not go into the details of how we will do that.”
Monguno said the meeting stressed the need to address the security challenges in the country, particularly those who had arisen in the last few months.
He said president gave matching orders to ideal with the emerging problems physically.
The NSA said: “The president has given direction on how to make these things effective. Already, the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) has been given certain instructions on how to deal with this, but 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 Defence Staff has been working with the service chiefs and the recommendations they’ve made to the council are already being handled.”
Irabor, on his part, said: “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 othersecurity agencies, should take 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, theglow 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.”