The National Security Council is developing new strategies to combat security challenges in Nigeria.
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno, stated this on Thursday, while briefing State House Correspondents on the outcome of the Council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The NSA, who was joined by the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Usman Alkali, admitted that the country was in a difficult situation, saying that the President is aware of the people’s concerns about the growing insecurity.
According to him, the Security Council has agreed on new strategies to combat the threat, ensuring renewed momentum against terrorism.
Monguno also revealed that the Council was in the process of winding up a special investigation on the Kuje Correctional Center attack with a view to holding those found negligent accountable for their actions.
He urged the media to be circumspect in what they publish from terrorists, appealing that they should consider the consequences of such materials.
He said: “Today’s meeting was convened by the President, as a continuation of the meeting that took place last week to discuss the technical issues and the taskings that were given to the various security agencies.
“The meeting deliberated on all those issues, after the brief by the National Security Adviser, which is usually the procedure. Again, council dim it necessary to inform the general public, that fighting this type of asymmetric conflict is a collective effort. It’s not something that should be confined to only the security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
“When we keep saying whole of society approach, whole of government approach, to get a whole of nation approach, what it means is that everybody has to partake in this enterprise. The truth is that no country can ever overcome the difficulties of an asymmetric conflict by virtue of the fact that the enemy of the state is embedded within the population within the wider society.
“It is true that the local people are averse, they’re scared, they’re worried and there’s no confidence. That is understandable. But without their support without the cooperation in terms of giving information, it makes it very hard for the operational elements.
“A few days ago, troops of the guards brigade were ambushed and decimated. Had there been a collective effort by way of just snippets of information we might have averted that incident, that is not to say that the responsibility is for those outside the security domain. It’s a collective responsibility.”
The NSA cautioned that the nature of publicity given to the terrorists can aggravate the situation.
“Furthermore, counsel is also concerned about the nature of media reporting incidents with regards to insecurity. It is important for the media to understand that certain reports being generated by the media, either the way the manner in which they report can also aggravate this delicate situation.
“So Council is urging the media to be very careful in whatever it reports, whatever gets out to the public space, can have a debilitating effect on the population,” he said.
Nation’s Peace
He also urged political elites to be mindful of their utterances, which can cause havoc to the peace of the nation.
“Equally, the political elite is also urged to take into account the consequences of utterances, especially from people who have established a reputation, people who are considered leaders of thought, people who are considered to have some kind of influence in society, whatever goes out, may be harmful, not just to the government, if that is the intention, which I doubt may not be a deliberate thing, but at the end of the day, it will affect the wider society.
“We are in a very difficult situation. And Council understands. Mr. President understands people’s concerns about the growing insecurity. But I can assure you that there’s no straight cut and dried method of dealing with this thing unless all of us embrace each other.
“I know people are weary people are tired people are beginning to gravitate to other places for self help. The truth is that help is rooted in everyone working for the other person,”
Monguno said the Armed Forces pledged to deal with the situation as expected.
“Again, the members of the armed forces have also made a commitment that in the coming weeks, they have already started working on a new strategy to deal with these snippets of violence.
“And they’ve given their word their commitment to the President, that there will be a change in momentum, regardless of the fact that there might be certain institutional limitations which they face. But the understood the enormity of the responsibilities that they have,” he concluded.
The NSA did not entertain questions after the briefing.
Confidencec Okwuchi
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