The National Security Council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari has declared the National Task Force on Prohibition of Illegal, Importation/Smuggling of Arms, Ammunition, Light Weapons, Chemical Weapons and Pipeline Vandalism (NATFORCE) illegal.
The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, who briefed journalists, alongside his Police Affairs counterpart, Mohammed Dingyadi, advised the NATFORCE leadership to disband itself with immediate effect, or risk being disbanded forcefully by security agencies.
The Senate had, in July, passed into law the Bill establishing the Commission, while the House of Representatives is expected to pass its version upon resumption in September 2022.
Aregbesola also said investigation into the Kuje correctional facility attack by gunmen is still work in progress. He said the council received reports from all service chiefs and the Inspector General of Police, adding that the council chaired by president Buhari was “very satisfied” with the performance of all security agencies and that the country is moving to the phase of consolidation.
He said the council also commended the police for their performance during the Anambra, Ekiti and Osun governorship elections.
“The Council has just concluded today’s meeting. It received briefings from all security chiefs and the Council is very satisfied with the performances of all our security chiefs; the military, the police and other security agencies. We are happy with their performance and the gains recorded, so far.
“We are moving to the phase of consolidation of all those gains, such that by December, as ordered by the Chairman of the Council, the President, which he has said to all Nigerians before now, that we’ll put, essentially, most of the challenges of banditry, particularly, insurgency, kidnapping for ransom and criminalities of that nature, far behind us.
“We are equally pleased with the performance of the Nigeria Police in the elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun, which has demonstrated our commitment to democracy and expression of the will of the people at the polls.
“Equally of concern is the presence of some illegal outfits that impersonate the legitimate security agencies. Of particular concern is a body called National Task Force on Illegal Importation of Goods, Small Arms and what have you, but the short name for it is NATFORCE.
“The Council declares that body an illegal organisation; it should just simply disband itself, because the Council has ordered all security agencies to enforce the disbandment of that body and other such bodies that operate illegally without any force of law,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Dingiyadi, has assured that they are other negotiators involved in the negotiations with kidnappers of Abuja -Kaduna train abduction, insisting that Tukur Mamu’s arrest will not stop negotiations.
“Efforts are ongoing to have all Nigerians in the captivity of either kidnappers or bandits and we are not sparing anything to get them released. Mamu has been arrested by the DSS for actions that are not friendly to the objective of security management and control, as it concerns the victims of kidnapping that you have mentioned.
“The matter is in court and the court has ruled accordingly. We are not sparing any effort to release our abducted brothers and sisters, who are still in captivity.”
Meanwhile, the Department of State Services (DSS) have vowed to cage all religious, political and tribal leaders and groups responsible for the insecurity ravaging the country before the 2023 general elections.
Specifically, the DSS said it would go after those perceived to be sponsoring terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes in the country, irrespective of their political, religious and public status.
Already, the service said it has collated the data of such persons, in readiness to effect their arrest any moment from now. The move, according to the Director General, DSS, Mohammed Yusuf Bichi, is to pave the way for a smooth, free, fair and safe conduct of the 2023 general elections in the country. He said they would not be allowed to escape as they are being monitored on a 24-hour basis.
Bichi made the disclosure at a ceremony organised by staff of the organisation to mark his four years in office, unveiling of a book written in his honour and the renewal of another four-year term in office by President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Service headquarters, on Wednesday night.
The book, A Compendium of YM Bichi’s Legacy at the DSS, was written by the Public Relations Officer, Dr Peter Afunanya, to record successes and achievements of the DG during his first four years (2018-2022) in office.
The DG, while listing terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes as some of the insecurity challenges bedevilling the country, said the service would no longer fold its arms to watch those perpetrating these evils to move about and carry on with their deadly activities.
He said the DSS, who the military, the police, the various security agencies and, indeed, the general public rely on for intelligence, is working round the clock, to get all criminals and their sponsors out of the way before the 2023 general elections.
Bichi said the agency was more than ever well equipped with state-of-the-art technological equipment and manpower and has undergone various training within and outside the country, to render the services which it was established for.
He said in the coming days, weeks and months, Nigerians would get to know those who have been championing the insecurity in the country, using religion and other dubious means as cover to perpetrate their evil acts, to the detriments of innocent and law abiding citizens. He said these sets of people would not be allowed to escape as they were being monitored 24 hours.
The DG, while noting the task before the service as enormous, given the security challenges in the country, however, pointed out that with the level of manpower and technology the service has acquired in the last few years, the task was surmountable.
Bichi, who thanked president Buhari for appointing him for a second term in office, said: “I thank the president for finding me worthy of serving once again. With this, I am fully aware, and you should also know that the task before us is quite enormous and challenging, but we have to navigate. Our operations definitely will be driven by technology, by professionals and with commitment.
“And I have to tell you that we are up to the task and committed to address the security challenges facing the country. All the services rely on us and we are not going to fail them. It is a commitment.
“Definitely, in the next couple of days, weeks or months, all those responsible for all these insecurity will definitely be rounded up and they will never escape.
“We started from these years compiling, analysing and building our data on people who definitely want to undermine the security of this nation or even our democracy. And we are not going to allow that to happen. We took that resolve and we are going to do it. And when we say we are going to do it, everybody knows that once this service says that they are going to do it, they will surely do it.
“Recently, people thought that Igboho would never be arrested by any security agency, but we told them that you can say that to the marines, not to this service. Once we want to deal with you, we deal with you, but in a fair manner and justice. So, justice and fairness will guide us.”
He thanked personnel of the organisation for their commitment and cooperation over the years, and promised to take the service to a greater height in his second tenure. He also thanked the public relations officer, Dr Afunaya, for the publication of the book. – The Sun.
