Govt adopts fresh options to tackle insecurity

Posted by admin National Politics, Nigerian Police Monday, July 18th, 2011

AS part of efforts to rise to the security challenges in the country, the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) has adopted fresh options even as the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Hafiz Ringim, disclosed yesterday that the police were not contacted by the military when the latter intercepted some explosives recently in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.

Also, the South South Peoples Assembly (SSPA) has urged the Federal Government to urgently tackle the security challenges occasioned by the activities of the Boko Haram sect.

Addressing journalists at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, the police boss said the NSA, Gen. Owoye Azazi (rtd) was creating a synergy among security agencies in the country so that they could work together as one united family. He, however, admitted that the police high command was not contacted when some explosives were intercepted by the military recently in Abuja.

“First of all, I want to state categorically that like every one saw the headline the morning it appeared in the paper, that was when I saw it. Nobody contacted me. The journalist did not contact me before they wrote their report. The military did not contact us before they wrote the report but that is not the issue at the moment. I want to assure you that the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) is doing its level best at the moment to make sure that activities of all the security agencies are coordinated, to make sure that a synergy, a real synergy is created so that there will be no discordant tunes coming out from the various security agencies that are supposed to speak with one voice’’, he said.

Explaining that it would not be possible for the police to shut down the companies involved in the movement of the explosives because of the obvious economic implications, the police boss further disclosed that stringent measures had been put in place to monitor their activities.

“Under the law, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) indeed, monitors and checks the magazines of various companies that deal in these explosives and we are doing our level best. Indeed, at the moment, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has placed an embargo on the movement of all these items without clearance from the police. Let me add that … even though we have the current security challenges, it is impossible for us to say that companies that deal in these cargoes should not deal in them because if you stop activities in all the quarries in this country, you will be causing another serious problem in the Labour market. Because where these companies do not operate, you can imagine the number of people that will be out of job. I am not saying that government is not mindful of the security challenges but we are also mindful of other problems that will be caused. The Inspector General of Police has placed a ban, currently, on the movement and activities of those magazines until they seek clearance from the Inspector General of Police”, he disclosed.

Ringim also said that no police officer was still in detention over the incident and reiterated that the explosives belonged to Dynatrac Nigeria Ltd.

“I want to assure you that they have, since the day of the arrest, been released. They are not in detention because they were on a lawful duty. Dynatrac Nigeria Ltd has not come to say that those explosives were not from their magazine. The military, as you said now, are investigating. They will be able to tell you if those explosives did not come from the company. The matter has been in the news for four, five days now. If it came from anywhere apart from Dynatrac company, you would have heard it. But you have not heard that yet’’, he maintained.

A group, Niger Delta Indigenous Movement for Radical Change (NDIMRC) yesterday warned members of Boko Haram against destabilising the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

In a statement yesterday by the President, Nelly Emma; Secretary, John Sailor and Public Relations Officer, Mukoro Stanley, the group condemned worsening security situation in the country, saying it was a calculated attempt to discredit the administration of President Jonathan.

The group accused a prominent royal father in the north for sponsoring members of Boko Haram in order to create crisis in the country, saying that any plot against President Jonathan by the North would be resisted.

On its part, the National Secretariat of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) yesterday canvassed constructive dialogue as the only means of resolving the security challenge orchestrated by Boko Haram.

In a statement he personally signed and made available to reporters in Abuja, the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, advised Nigerians against politicising the Boko Haram issue, saying all segments of the society had been affected by the activities of the sect.

Declaring support for the deployment of soldiers by President Goodluck Jonathan in Borno State, the South South leaders charged him to repeat same in any part of the country where terrorism is perceived to constitute a threat to the integrity of Nigeria.

In a statement endorsed by the trio of Justice Adolphus Karibi Whyte (rtd), Ambassador Dr. Mathew Mbu and Dr Kalada Dick Iruenabere, the SSPA said: “We urge the Federal Government to use all the resources at its disposal to combat the threat posed by the Boko Haram.”

Irked by the terrorist activities of the sect, the SSPA charged the government to fish out those found to be behind the sinister operations of the sect and ensure that they are brought to justice.

The South-South elder statesmen, who pledged the region’s commitment to an indivisible Nigeria, cautioned that they would not fold their arms and watch helplessly while some enemies of the region and the Nigerian state try to hide under the cloak of region to perpetuate treasonable acts.

“We therefore warn those living in glass houses not to throw stones. Enough is enough,” they said.

According to the SSPA, the Boko Haram sect has not hidden the fact that their ultimate goal is to make Nigeria ungovernable for Jonathan’s administration. They marvelled at the call by Borno elders for withdrawal of troops from the state, saying it smacks of approval for the operations of the Boko Haram terrorist group.

SSPA said it recalls threat by some prominent northern politicians during the recent electioneering that they would make the country ungovernable if Jonathan were to emerge President.

“If this were not the playing out of that conspiracy, why was there such a loud silence of acknowledged leaders of the north when it was critical to speak up, given the obvious bizarre response by the Borno elders and lawmakers” they asked.

The elders noted that the call for the withdrawal of armed personnel by the Borno Elders and law makers being based on a comparison between the activities of Boko Haram and those of the Niger Delta militants is misconceived, odious, preposterous, insensitive, simplest and without justification.

SSPA noted that while the Niger Delta militants were fighting concrete for economic justice for their own people, Boko Haram is fighting a nebulous and dangerous war to impose its religious ideology on the entire country.

It observed that “the dishonesty of the comparison becomes clear when one takes into cognizance

-Guardianwp_posts