President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed Service Chiefs and heads of security and intelligence agencies to ruthlessly deal with oil thieves and other criminals involved in vandalizing the nation’s oil assets
The President, who gave the order on Thursday, said that his administration would not tolerate such criminal acts that have been undermining the nation’s efforts to boost crude oil production and foreign exchange earnings for the country
Tinubu, who gave the order during his maiden official meeting with Security and intelligence heads led by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, maintained that there should not be any reason for Nigeria to keep begging for funds as a result of security challenges while other countries are working, moving forward and recording tremendous achievements.
The President charged the security agencies to redouble their efforts in the drive towards improved security nationwide.
Briefing State House correspondents after the meeting, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major-General Babagana Monguno (rtd), disclosed that the President had directed heads of security agencies to come out with their blueprints on how to address the lingering insecurity in the country.
He said: “The President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces has just concluded a meeting of the general security appraisal committee consisting of the Chief of Staff service chiefs Inspector General of Police, and heads of the intelligence agencies.
“This is the very first meeting he’s had with the heads of the security agencies. The meeting lasted for two hours.
Having been briefed by the participants of the meeting, Mr President, addressed prevailing issues confronting the nation in terms of insecurity and also mentioned his own philosophy towards dealing with national security issues.
“First and foremost, he appreciated the armed forces and intelligence agencies and the wider paramilitary agencies for the work they have been doing in the past couple of years. Their sacrifice, their loyalty, and he also paid tribute to those who died in defending this country, from the great big menace of terrorism, insurgency banditry, oil theft, sea robbery, piracy, etc”, the NSA added.
According to him, the President made it very clear that he was determined to build on whatever gains that had been made and to reverse misfortunes and turn the tide in the country’s favour.
Monguno further clarified that President Tinubu made it very clear that he would not accept a situation in which Nigerla’s fortunes keep declining and harped on the need for national security system to be properly coordinated.
The NSA further expatiated: “All agencies must work to achieve one single purpose. Working at cross purposes and colliding with each other is not something that he will condone. He has made it very, very clear that all the security agencies must comply with the demands of coordination, with the demands of frequent consultations and also timely reports which must be acted on.
“He is going to embark on a lot of reforms in terms of our security architecture, he is going to take a closer look at our misfortunes in the maritime domain, focusing particularly on the issues of oil theft, that as far as he is concerned, he is not going to tolerate oil theft Wherever the problem is coming from it must be crushed as soon as possible.
“He has already mandated the security agencies to come up with a blueprint as far as he knows and as far as he is concerned, he doesn’t have the luxury of time and whatever changes will be made have to be done as soon as possible.
“The President also has decided that whatever ventures the armed forces are going to be engaged in, they must carry along those operatives in the theatre. They must be well-fed, well-kitted, motivated and given all that they require.
“President has said clearly that he will do whatever is within his powers to enable the operational elements but the intelligence agencies must also make their work easy for them by providing the type of intelligence that they require to carry out the assignment”, Monguno added.
