President Muhammadu Buhari has directed security agencies to safeguard the lives and property of all citizens and secure the nation’s borders from aggressors, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin, has said.
Olonisakin disclosed this to State House correspondents shortly after President Buhari met behind closed doors with members of the National Security Council in the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday.
Buhari on Monday in a broadcast to the nation charged the security agencies not to let the successes achieved in the last 18 months in the fight against insurgents “be a sign to relax”.
He said in the broadcast that “terrorists and criminals must be fought and destroyed relentlessly so that the majority of us can live in peace and safety’’.
Olonisakin, however, assured that the military would enhance operations in line with the President’s directive on securing the nation.
He said: “We are going to enhance our operations in all the areas that we need to do that.
“Like I said, he has given the necessary directives which will be carried out by the military and the security agencies.
“He also directed that we must ensure that the life and property of the citizens are protected and we must make sure that we secure the whole nation and also that troops that are outside carry out their jobs effectively.’’
Olonisakin revealed that the President reiterated his stance on the continued survival of Nigeria as one geo-political entity.
He said Buhari was also updated on all security issues within and around the country.
He said: “We have been meeting with Mr. President for the last three hours.
“We updated him on all security issues around the country, within the country and outside the country where our troops are (operating).
“He has been receiving regular briefings from the acting president and he has been going through the print media and electronic media to follow the happenings in the country.’’
The Service Chiefs were on July 27 ordered to return to command centre of the ongoing war against Boko Haram insurgency with a view to consolidating the gains being recorded in the battlefields.
The Tuesday meeting was attended by the National Security Adviser, retired Major General Babagana Monguno; Director-General, Department of State Services, Alhaji Lawal Daura; Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, the Chief of Army Staff; and Air Vice Marshal Sadiq Abubakar, the Chief of Air Staff.
The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ekwe Ite-Ibas, was represented at the meeting.
Olonisakin told newsmen after the meeting: “We have been meeting with Mr. President for the last three hours.
“All we have done is to update him on all security issues around the country, within the country and outside the country where our troops are.
“Of course we have just updated him because he is aware of what’s been happening.
“He has been receiving regular briefings from the Acting President and he has also been going through the print media and electronic media to follow the happenings in the country.
“After the meeting, he has directed on some areas we should look at so as to enhance our operations in the country.
“In his address, he talked about the unity of the nation, which is non-negotiable.
“We have all been fully instructed to ensure that that directive is carried out to the letter.”
Asked what Buhari said about the Indigenous People of Biafra, Olonisakin said: “The issues of security, every security threat, all security threats were treated one after the other ranging from terrorism to kidnapping, herdsmen/farmers clash, to IPOB issue were all treated.
“Comments were made as to what to do as regards those issues.”
Asked if as CDS he was mobilizing forces to the South East, Olonisakin said: “Every security, like I said, have been treated and we are going to enhance are operations in all the areas we need to do that.
“Like I said, he has given the necessary directives which will be carried out by the military and the security agencies.”
Asked what assurance they gave the President, Olonisakin said: “The assurance is that he also directed that we must ensure that the life and property of the citizens are protected and we must make sure that we secure the whole nation and also that troops that are outside carry out their jobs effective.”
Asked if the President was worried about the activities of Boko Haram in the North East despite the efforts of the military, Olonisakin told State House correspondents: “On the Boko Haram issue, you all know is an asymmetric warfare.
“It is not that the Boko Haram have stepped up their game.
“It is just the issue of suicide bombing that has been the problem and of course we also working with the security agencies and the intelligence agencies to make sure that we address that menace.”