…Senate adjourns meeting till February 13
…says service chiefs should not be blamed, doing their best
The interactive meeting between the Senate and security chiefs to address the worsening insecurity in the country could not be held as scheduled due to the absence of several other security chiefs.
The security chiefs absent included General Christopher Musa, Chief of defence Staff; Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Mohammed Badaru, minister of defence; Bello Matawalle, minister of state for defence; minister of State, Police Affairs; Ibrahim Geidam, minister of state for police affairs; and the director-general of the National Intelligence Agency.
Those who were present included; Taoreed Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff; Hassan Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff; Yusuf Bichi; director-general of the Department of State Services; Kayode Egbetokun, Inspector-General of Police; and Emmanuel Ogalla, Chief of Naval Staff.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio said the security adviser sent an apology because he is attending a bilateral meeting with security chiefs from the United Kingdom, but stated that due to the incomplete team, the interface cannot hold.
Akapabio noted that a complete team is needed for a robust, holistic, and complete discussion on the recent upsurge in insecurity throughout the country.
He, however, told the security chiefs present that the Senate is not blaming them for the insecurity in the country as it recognizes their effort.
“We are not blaming any of you for anything, we believe you are doing your best, we want to hear from you and also make contributions on how we can improve the security situation. But, you’re not complete, we received an apology from the national security adviser that he is in a bilateral discussion,” Akpabio said.
Consequently, the Senate adjourned the interactive meeting to Tuesday, February 13, 2024. It also resolved to invite Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, minister of Interior for a more robust interaction.
The Upper Chamber had invited the Service Cheifs in December 2023, following the upsurge in insecurity, notably the brutal attack on several communities in Plateau that left hundreds of people dead.
The Senate again invited security chiefs for a meeting that ought to have been held today, February 7, as kidnappings, killings, and other criminality worsened across the country and even in the nation’s capital.
Akpabio had decried that kidnapping has been turned into lucrative merchandise, stressing that the meeting with the security chiefs is crucial to mapping out workable solutions.
“We should meet next week, so we can discuss and see how we can tackle this insecurity situation”, Akpabio had said.
Akpabio said the outcome of the meeting would be tabled before President Bola Tinubu for further action.
