The meeting also stressed the need for security agencies to do more to secure the country.
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According to the NSA, it was based on the recent security brief the president got from the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Lucky Irabor, that he mandated the service chiefs to fish out the kidnappers, bandits and their sponsors.
He said: ‘The president is particularly delighted that from what he has received from the Chief of Defence Staff, there is now a renewed vigour, there is now a willingness on the part of all the operational elements to work together, as well as also working hand-in-hand with the intelligence organisations.
‘On the issue of kidnapping and banditry, this menace still persists, especially in the North-west and the North-central zones. Mr President has been very emphatic, he has stated very clearly that this problem must be brought to an end, by using the traditional methods that the armed forces have been trained to deploy.
‘Mr President has made it very clear to both the intelligence and operational elements that the first assignment will be to identify the leaders of these bandits, kidnappers and take them out, in order to restore confidence in those areas.’
Monguno added that the president also directed that the military should henceforth be proactive and not reactionary in its operational activities, adding that the bandits and kidnappers should not be allowed to dictate the pace in fighting security challenges facing the country.
‘Mr President has said that he will no longer tolerate a situation whereby bandits and kidnappers are the ones dictating the pace and setting the tone and he will not also, condone a situation in which our own operations are reactionary rather than being proactive.
‘He has also indicated his willingness to provide all the resources required by our own troops in order to put down these criminals. They must be brought down with all the ruthlessness that is required and whoever is working in collaboration with them will be brought to book,‘ he stated.
According to him, the president from briefings he got from the CDS and the service chiefs was glad that the new service chiefs were taking off on the right footing with a pledge that all the operational requirements for them to perform better would be made available to them.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK