What Buhari, Governors, Others Discussed At Security Meeting

President Muhammadu Buhari, Tuesday, dismissed assumptions that Boko Haram terrorists were better equipped and funded than the armed forces, insisting that the Nigerian military has greater resources to fight the terrorists even though they may need more.

He disclosed that Nigeria is expecting to take delivery of military weapons and aircraft from Jordan, China, and the United States to reinvigorate its anti-terror war.

Speaking at a virtual meeting with the Security Committee of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), represented by one governor from each of the six geo-political zones of the country, he urged Nigerians not to expect a dramatic change in the ongoing efforts to combat insurgency because fighters and pilots to operate the new weapons and aircraft must first be trained.

Buhari’s three-hour meeting with the governors focused on the country’s security policies and approaches in tackling the internal security challenges bedeviling the country with a charge that intelligence gathering and sharing must be intensified to enhance the security of the country.

Some governors who joined the meeting virtually are Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Babagana Zulum (Borno), David Umahi (Ebonyi), and Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos). The governors were led by members of the NGF’s Security Committee, headed by Kogi State Governor, Mr. Yahaya Bello.

During the meeting, the governors demanded a security bailout from the president, citing the $1 billion they allowed him to withdraw from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) to procure weapons as a justifiable reason for their demand.

Also present at the meeting were Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha; the National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd.); and the Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari.

Security chiefs at the meeting were Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (who was represented); Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar; the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mohammed Adamu; and the Director-General, Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Yusuf Bichi.

Also present were the Director-General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Mr. Ahmed Rufa’I; Chief of Defence Intelligence Agency, Air Vice Marshall Muhammed Usman; Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (rtd.); and the Minister of Police Affairs, Mr. Maigari Dingyadi.

The meeting ended with calls for a joint strategy to tackle insecurity within a limited time frame, with a further resolution that field commanders would take measures to protect civilian communities as a confidence-building mechanism between the military and the communities.

It expressed hope that when the loss of trust between both parties is restored, there will be improved cooperation in intelligence gathering and sharing.

The security meeting was unanimous that at the root of security challenges facing the country are poverty and youth unemployment, hence the agreement to address them with greater vigour by all tiers of government.

The meeting also agreed that field commanders should take measures to protect civilian communities, as a confidence-building mechanism between the military and those communities with the hope that when the trust that has been lost between both parties is re-established, there will be improved cooperation in intelligence-gathering and sharing.

According to a statement by the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the meeting equally agreed that poverty and youth unemployment are at the root of the security challenges in the country, and need to be addressed with greater vigour by all tiers of government.

In his remarks, the President used the opportunity to dismiss the assumptions that the terrorists in the North East had far more weapons and money than the government.

He stressed that what was left of them were “mere scavengers desperate for food, raiding shops and markets, and killing innocent persons in the process.”

Buhari also expressed worries that in spite of the fact that borders with neighbouring countries had been shut, bandits and terrorists continued to have access to small weapons.

“These terrorists are in the localities. How is it that they are not short of small arms?” he was quoted as querying the security and intelligence chiefs.

The President stated, “We have said enough on the need for them to rejig their operations. I am glad that there are better synergy and cooperation which are very important.

“I have directed the service chiefs to meet among themselves in-between the National Security Council meetings. The services have resources; yes, they need more, and mobility, and are doing their best, but there is a need for better gathering and interpretation of intelligence. Our intelligence-gathering must be improved.”

He commended the level of support from neighbouring countries in the war against terrorism in the troubled North East, saying: “They are cooperating with us. On Boko Haram, we are making progress with Benin, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon”.

The President, while restating that intelligence-gathering must improve to be able to track small arms in the Northwest, North Central, and Northeast States, expressed satisfaction with the level of naval activity in the Gulf of Guinea, using newly-acquired equipment.

He however demanded that hard-to-reach areas of Lake Chad, where Boko Haram terrorists have found new havens, as well as the forests now inhabited by bandits, must be accessed and rid of nefarious elements.

“The Chief of Defence Staff has spoken about their study of the forests and their potential danger to security.

“We must make sure we follow the bandits and terrorists, but there must not be deforestation in view of the climate situation,” he said.

In their submissions anchored by the NGF Chairman, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, and Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, the governors highlighted the problems of poverty, unemployment, trust deficit between the military and civilian populations, and the inflow of small arms into the country.

They also noted the problem of coordination among military and security chiefs and played up their own security roles which included the $1 billion they allowed the President to withdraw from the Excess Crude Account for weapons procurement two years ago.

The governors, therefore, urged the President to consider a “bailout” for security for the states in view of the enormity of the resources they now expend in support of the military and the police.