Minister of Interior, Lieutenant Gen. Abdulrahman Bello Dambazzau, (Rtd)
THE Federal government on Thursday summoned the service chiefs to an emergency meeting in Abuja over the deteriorating internal security in Nigeria.
The meeting was held at the instance of the Minister of Interior, Lieutenant Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (Rtd), who also alleged that some of the violent conflicts and killings in the country were politically motivated to cause rebellion against the government.
He, however, admitted that some of the challenges contributing to insecurity and impeding the optimum performance of security agencies were poor logistics including weapons and ammunition and general problems of command and control.
He said the one-day internal security summit was to examine, by way of conversation in practical terms, the current security situation within the country.
He noted that areas worst hit by these attacks include Birnin Gwari and the adjoining communities, southern parts of Kaduna, large parts of Benue, Plateau, Taraba and Adamawa states.
The Minister lamented that in the last few years, the entire Zamfara state has been reduced to a killing field to the nation’s collective shame.
Dambazau said: “We are not dealing with conventional threats, but peculiar threats that are laced with terrorism, sabotage, and efforts to manipulate our society’s fault lines of religion and ethnicity.
“There are indications that some of these threats are politically motivated from within the country: some are induced from outside of the country by those who are not comfortable with Nigeria’s potentials, while others are a result of outright criminal acts or violent extremism or both.
“Whatever the source of these threats, security agencies must articulate their plans to contain, control and prevent them. These threats not only undermine democracy but also slow down our development and growth, thereby impacting on the peace, security and stability of our dear nation,” he said.
In attendance were the Chief of Defence Staff, represented by Air Vice Marshall Olusoji Awomodu, who is the Director of Operations, Defence Headquarters, Controller-General of Immigration, Mohammed Babadende, Comptroller-General of Prisons, Ja’aru Ahmed
The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, and Commandant-General of Nigeria Security Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Muhammadu Gana were represented with State Commissioners of Police also in attendance.
He said the Federal government has achieved successes in degrading and dismantling the activities and structures of Boko Haram, especially in the North East, saying managing the post-conflict peace-building was of a greater challenge.
While stressing on the need for intelligence gathering in tackling the insecurity, Dambazau, called for collaboration among the security agencies entrusted with the responsibilities of protecting the lives and properties of the people.
He revealed that government was currently pursuing the implementation of a tripartite agreement for the voluntary return of Nigerian refugees in Cameroon, while also in the process of entering such agreement with Niger and Chad respectively.
Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Balarabe Lawal, called for adequate intervention in the state, especially in Birnin Gwari, Abuja-Kaduna road and southern Kaduna that are prone to violent attacks.
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