Security: Defence Minister, counterparts meet to develop strategy

Following a standing directive to four Ministers by President Muhammadu Buhari to evolve a new strategy to deal with the security challenges in Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto and other parts of the country, the ministers in charge, held a closed-door meeting in Abuja, to find solutions to them.

They are Minister of Defence, Maj Gen Bashir  Salihi Magashi; Police Affairs, Muhammad  Maigari Dingyadi; Interior, Rauf Aregbesola and Information and  Culture, Lai Mohammed.

The Special Assistant Media and Publicity to the Minister of Defence, Mohammad  Abdulkadri reports that the strategic security interface by the four political heads, which lasted for about three hours, was held behind closed doors.

The host, Minister of Defence, Major  General  Magashi, at the end of the meeting revealed in an interview that the political heads had resolved to drive the Presidential directive to achieve the end-state of putting the country back on the track of normalcy especially the states facing daily incursions of banditry and terrorism.

He said the issues on the front burner of public concern regarding the banditry and killings in Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto states were properly put in context and well-articulated for policy implementation.

The Defence Minister assured Nigerians that the military would double their efforts to decimate the bandits for peace to reign in their operational axis.

On his part, the Minister of Police Affairs, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi said there would be effective inter-ministerial and inter- agencies collaboration as deliberated on during the closed-door meeting.

He said it was in tune with the Presidential directive to evolve new operational guidelines for implementation by security agencies involved in anti-banditry and anti-insurgency operations.

The Minister of Information,  Lai Mohammed revealed that the meeting focused on how to deploy a crisis communication strategy to end the banditry activities.

Reiterating the essence of information sharing and synergy among security agencies with a view to flushing out criminality in the country,  Lai Mohammed said all hands must be on deck to support the government’s efforts.

The Minister of Information concluded that the strategic security meeting fulfilled its intended purpose as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari.   ( VON)