Tag: Babagana Monguno

Border Closure To Remain Till Objectives Are Achieved – NSA

The National Security Adviser, Retired Major General Babagana Monguno, says border closure will remain until the objectives behind the closure are achieved.

Monguno told journalists over the weekend that the ongoing joint taskforce operation which is the reason for the closure will extend beyond the 28 days earlier fixed and will last till the objectives are achieved.

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“There is no definite date or time that we will conclude this exercise and we start seeing positive results.

“This exercise is to free the country from criminal activities including smuggling and enhance the economy. It is also aimed to secure the state of livelihood,” Monguno said.

He added that the issue of insecurity is worsened by a porous border which gives room for smugglers and smuggling.

The NSA, therefore, called for cooperation and collaboration from neighbouring countries to ensure the smooth operation of the exercise.

The border closure exercise, which commenced on August 21, is carried out in four sectors of North-West, North-Central, South- West, and South-South geopolitical zones.

The operation has recorded success with over 100 illegal migrants and 117 suspected smugglers arrested. Also, 8360 bags of 50kg foreign rice have been impounded with other banned items seized.

Buhari Orders Clampdown On Illegal Security Outfits

President Muhammadu Buhari

 

President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the immediate clampdown on all illegal security outfits in the country.

National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, revealed this on Tuesday while addressing a news conference in reaction of the recent crisis in Kaduna, Adamawa, Plateau and Benue states.

General Monguno added that all unlicenced and illicit acquisition of controlled items, including drones and broadcast equipment are to be reported to the appropriate security agencies.

With security challenges still popping up across the country, the National Security Adviser said the nation’s internal security situation is being reviewed.

Killings: NSA Briefs Senate Behind Closed Doors

Killings: NSA Briefs Senate Behind Closed Doors
File photo

 

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd) on Thursday met with the Senate behind closed doors.

Mr Monguno briefed the lawmakers at the Upper House of the National Assembly, on the spate of killings by terrorists, proliferation of dangerous firearms, kidnappings by hoodlums across the country.

The meeting came one week after Nigeria’s heads of security agencies led by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin, held a private meeting with the Senate over the security challenges in the country.

At the meeting which took place on May 23, the security chiefs and the lawmakers agreed on the need for special funding for the security agencies.

Both meetings were convened as a result of the security challenges facing the nation, especially the Boko Haram insurgency and the killings by suspected herdsmen that have claimed many lives.

At Wednesday’s plenary, Senate President Bukola Saraki had informed his colleagues that Mr Monguno would brief the Senate on the nation’s security.

He gave the hint following a point of order raised by Senator Barnabas Gemade from Benue about the condition of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in his state.

Saraki stressed the need to address urgently tackle the challenges, as a majority of the displaced persons are children.

He also asked the government to continue to play its role in giving hope to a lot of those who have found themselves in such situation by no fault of theirs.

“I think in our oversight committees should play more oversight roles in ensuring the necessary materials are made available at some of these sites.

“I have made commitments and I hope in the next few days we’ll get some donations, tables, desks for the kids and also improve the conditions of where they are being taught and even some of the other places on the camp need significant improvement,” Senator Saraki had said during the previous plenary.

President Buhari Attends Jummat In Abuja


President Muhammadu Buhari was seen in public as he went to observe the Friday Muslim prayers within the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

The President was joined by the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd); as well as the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ibrahim Magu among others.

He was seen chatting with the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Mr Lawan Daura.

There were concerns over President Buhari’s health as the Federal Executive Council meeting could not hold last Wednesday.

Last week Friday, the Governor of Kaduna State, Mr Nasir Elrufai had advised that people should reduce visits to the Aso Villa to allow the President some rest.

NSA, Yobe Govt. Meet Over Boko Haram Remnants

NSA, Yobe Govt. Meet Over Boko Haram RemnantsThe Yobe State Government is partnering with the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) to tackle the menace of insurgency in North-East Nigeria.

Speaking at a meeting in the state, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam noted that securing the lives and property of the people was everyone’s business and called for effective collaboration in waging the war against terrorism.

He appealed to the Federal Government to step up efforts to fully rid the region of the Boko Haram terrorists, promising that his administration would continue to accord security issues the desired attention.

“I wish to make an appeal to the Federal Government through the Office of the National Security Adviser, to intensify the mopping up ofthe remnant of Boko Haram terrorists in all nooks and crannies of the North-East, in conjunction with the vigilante group and with the aid of the organised community policing and surveillance training,” the Governor said.

He stressed that the meeting would enable participants to exchange ideas and find a way out of the restiveness engulfing Yobe State and the North-East as a whole.

“A workshop of this nature will enable participants to exchange ideas and arrive at a far reaching resolution on security issues unique to our zone, and take appropriate steps to arrest the threat to lives and property.

“It will equally avail us the opportunity of realising the need for us all to work together collectively towards eliminating the menace of the men of the underworld and miscreants,” Governor Gaidam stated.

Information Is Power

The NSA, Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd), whose address was read by the Head of the Counter-terrorism Office, Alhassan Useini, lauded the State Government’s effort in the rebuilding process and called for effective collaboration between security forces and the civil populace in tacking insecurity.

He emphasised the need for intelligence and information sharing as an effective way of tackling insurgency across the country.

“The country as a whole must now understand the importance of information sharing and the essence of timeliness in doing so. Information is power and the timely sharing of information is super power.

“This State Workshop should be seen as a call to reawaken the collaborative action which we must all embrace, as victory by one is victory by all of us, and a greater victory for our entire nation and the world. Our motto therefore should be mutual interest, mutual gain and mutual respect,” he said.

The Secretary to the Yobe State Government, Baba Mallam-Wali, described the workshop as timely, saying it would address key issues in the fight against terrorism and work out ways in the rebuilding of the war devastated areas.

He praised the present administration in the state for its role in relocating the Internally Displaced Persons to their ancestral homes.

FG Accuses Fertilizer Companies Of Economic Sabotage

Babagana-MungunuThe federal government has threatened to withdraw the licenses of two local fertilizer manufacturing companies over alleged economic sabotage.

This comes as the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mr Babagana Monguno, has confirmed the arrest of a store manager and five other employees of an explosives distribution company alleged to be suppliers of explosives to the Niger Delta militants.

He was speaking at a meeting with manufacturers of fertilizer in Abuja and confirmed the use of commercial explosives in the attacks on oil facilities in the Niger Delta.

“This office has conducted investigations into the incessant bombing of oil facilities in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria and discovered that commercial explosives and accessories were used for these attacks.

“Based on these facts, I have directed our explosives experts based in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to conduct further investigations and a detailed audit of the records of explosives, magazines and quarries in that region,” he said.

The investigations, according to Monguno, revealed that over 9,000kg of high explosives and 16,420 pieces of electrical detonators have been used by the militants.

Regarding the role of the fertilizer manufacturing companies, the NSA said, “The Office of the National Security Adviser has observed with total dismay and disappointment some unpatriotic acts and abuse of the goodwill of the federal government of Nigeria.

“Reports of the activities of these two companies have indicated that about 71% of the 2.05 million metric tonnes cumulative annual production is being exported to the detriment of our national economy.

“This has resulted in a spike in the price of the urea-based fertilizers in Nigeria with obvious implications on food security in the country.”

The incessant bombings by the Niger Delta militants and Boko Haram militants have caused both economic losses and loses of human lives in the country.

This, over time, has drawn concerns from the local and international community, looking for ways of ending the attacks.

The warning from the National Security Adviser was clear; the Nigerian government will not compromise in the provision of adequate security for its people.

Buhari Attends Forum On China, Nigeria Production Capacity Cooperation

Muhammadu-Buhari-in-ChinaNigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday attended the official opening ceremony of the Business Forum on China-Nigeria Production Capacity Cooperation holding in Beijing China.

President Buhari is in China on an official visit aimed at securing greater support from Beijing for the development of Nigeria’s infrastructure, especially in the power, roads, railways, aviation, water supply and housing sectors.

At the official opening of the forum were Chairman of National Reform and Development Commission, Mr Xu Shaoshi, Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade & Investment, Okechukwu Enemalah, National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno and Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama.

Some other Nigerian government officials present at the opening were, Minister of Industry, Trade & Investment, Okechukwu Enemalah and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama.

Other Chinese government officials at the ceremony were Governor of National Development Bank, Mr Zheng Zhijie, Chairman of National Reform and Development Commission, Mr Xu Shaoshi and Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Qian Hongshan.

The Nigerian government is looking to secure more funds from China, with the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, saying the oil rich nation would consider issuing Chinese panda bond to plug deficit in the 2016 budget.

Earlier, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd (ICBC), the world’s biggest lender, and Nigeria’s central bank signed an agreement on yuan transactions.

“It means that the renminbi (yuan) is free to flow among different banks in Nigeria and the renminbi has been included in the foreign exchange reserves of Nigeria,” the Director General of the Foreign Ministry’s African Affairs Department, Lin Songtian, told reporters.

The agreement was reached following a meeting between Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Buhari, Mahama Agree To Strengthen Bilateral Relations And Improve Regional Security

buhari and mahamaPresident Muhammadu Buhari and his Ghanaian counterpart on Monday agreed to strengthen bilateral relations and improve regional security. 

The two Presidents entered the agreements during a closed door meeting after which the press was briefed on issues discussed.

Top on the list was the reformation of the military and  on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) biometric card, which would make trading between Ghana and Nigeria much easier.

President Buhari gave the assurance that he will compose his cabinet during a joint press conference with President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana.

“After I was sworn-in, I said I will have my cabinet in September. I expect that Nigerians should ask me questions after the 30th of September if I do not do so,” President Buhari said.

The President arrived Ghana at approximately 10am at the Kotoka International Airport where he inspected a Guard of Honour.

Remarkable Progress

President Buhari also told reporters that the Nigerian military, in close collaboration with the Multi-National Joint Task Force, has recorded remarkable progress in the fight against Boko Haram.

“The first thing I did after I came into office was to reorganize the military and clear orders were given to them in terms of retraining, re-equipping and redeployment of troops.

“In the northeast, the military is gaining ground and Boko Haram has been limited to the Sambisa forest.

“Internally Displaced Persons are gradually moving back home and they are being reintegrated into their respective communities,” President Buhari said.

I Have Declared My Assets Four Times

The President affirmed that it was a constitutional requirement that all public office holders in Nigeria should declare their assets before and after their term in office.

“I recall that in 1975 when late Murtala Mohammed became the Head of State, we were lined up – governors, ministers, members of the Supreme Military Council. Officials of Ministry of Justice were brought and every individual was made to declare his assets.

“All Heads of States and Government, governors, ministers, permanent secretaries have to declare their assets because it is a constitutional requirement.

“I have declared my assets four times. When I was governor in 1975, I declared. After being Minister of Petroleum and as a member of Supreme Military Council, I declared. When I was Head of State and now as a President, I have also declared” he said.

The Ghanaian President added that both leaders also agreed to encourage closer cooperation between the intelligence and anti-graft agencies of both countries.

He thanked President Buhari for his visit and assured him of Ghana’s support and cooperation with Nigeria in the fight against terrorism.

Directive To End Boko Haram In Three Months Achievable – Osinbajo

Yemi-OsinbajoNigeria’s Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, on Saturday expressed optimism that the deadline given to service chiefs by President Muhammadu Buhari to end the Boko Haram insurgency is achievable.

“I know that that is entirely possible. I know that they can do it. We have a great military and we know that there have been problems with the grading of the lack of equipment and lack of resources but that is a problem we to deal with as we go along”, he said.

Speaking to journalists in Lagos, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria commended the Chief of Defence Staff for the quick action taken by the security agencies after receiving the President’s order.

“The Chief of Defence Staff has already responded appropriately, by saying that is a task that has been set for the military and they must go out there and execute it within the time that has been given.

“As it is, we have to fix the car while the engine is running, you can’t say we are going to wait until we get all the equipment before we do it.

“So we have to fix this car while the engine is running and that is what we are doing now”, he maintained.

Service Chiefs Respond To Call

The Chief of Army Staff, Major-General Tukur Buratai and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Sadique Abubakar have arrived Maiduguri for an assessment of the military operations against the insurgents.

The Inspector-General of Police and the National Security Adviser were also part of the visit.

The National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, said their mission in Borno State was to reassess operational situations and hit the ground running.

President Muhammadu Buhari gave the charge on Thursday, August 13, after decorating the officers, whose appointments were announced two months ago.

President Buhari lamented the upsurge in the wave of the terror attacks in the north east, challenging the service chiefs not to fail Nigerians.
He charged them to be accountable for all men and equipment under their command, with the welfare of the troops uppermost in their minds.

The President also pledged to give them the needed support, while charging them to protect innocent civilians as well as respect the rights of combatants to earn the support of Nigerians and the International Community.