By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
The scales may have finally fallen off the eyes of President Muhammadu Buhari, who has all along defended his security chiefs despite the worsening insecurity in the country.
Briefing State House Correspondents on Thursday after a security meeting, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (Rtd.), said President Buhari is not only unhappy with the current state of the security situation in the country but has also charged managers of the nation’s security to redouble their efforts.
According to Monguno, the President said, though the security chiefs had been doing their best, their best had not been good enough for the challenges facing the nation.
He has therefore declared that excuses will no longer be tolerated, even as he said he expects everyone to live up to expectations.
He also expressed displeasure over the lack of synergy amongst security forces and charged the various aspects of the security architecture to work together to solve the nation’s security challenges.
He said the President charged the office of the NSA to meet with governors of the Northwest states and that of Niger State, for briefing and strategic organisation of a response to the banditry problem in their domains.
Nigerians have been lamenting over the worsening security situation in the country with many calling for the sack of the service chiefs.
On Wednesday, the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammed Sa’ad Abubakar 111, told the Federal Government that Nigerians have a right to express their feelings over the spate of killings in the country, especially in the north.
The JNI flayed security agencies over what it described as lackadaisical attitude in the fight against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes in the country, saying they seemed to be overwhelmed by the problem.
Earlier this week, the Northern Elders Forum led by Prof. Ango Abdullahi and some Arewa youth groups also expressed reservations over government’s inability to stop the orgy of killings in the north.
In the same vein, the U.S. Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo, in a statement on the twitter handle of the U.S. Mission, Nigeria @USEmbassyAbuja, also condemned the recent killings of a pastor and his pregnant wife in Taraba State.
The statement read: “We condemn the recent/ senseless and/ brazen killings of civilians in northern Nigeria. In recent weeks, suspected/ ISIS West Africa/ militants launched multiple attacks in Borno State, killing more than 120 civilians, including women, children, and the elderly.
“On June 9, unidentified armed bandits attacked a village in Katsina State, killing dozens. These horrific crimes follow the shooting of a pastor and his pregnant wife on June 1 and the killing of an imam, local village head, and several civilians on June 5 in the course of inter-communal violence in Taraba State.
“Tens of thousands of civilians have lost their lives in Nigeria in recent years to violent attacks by terrorist groups or criminal gangs, in inter-communal violence, or due to their religious beliefs.
“The United States calls on the government of Nigeria to do more to strengthen ongoing efforts to address this violence, hold those responsible accountable and protect civilians.”