By Emmanuel Nduka
National Security Adviser (NSA) Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd) has admitted that Nigerians are tired of the current security challenges facing the nation, and are thus gravitating towards self-help.
The NSA also said that winning the war against terrorists will depend a lot on all citizens, including the civilian population, who are required to help the efforts of security, intelligence and armed agencies with useful information.
Monguno made the observation while speaking with newsmen after the National Security Council meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday.
The NSA however, revealed that Government is currently working on new strategies to curtail the worsening insecurity in the country in coming weeks.
He said the Security Council has agreed on new strategies to curtail the menace, assuring that there will be a renewed momentum against terrorism, just as he noted that Nigeria is in a difficult situation, saying the President is aware of the people’s concerns about the growing insecurity.
“This meeting was convened by the President as a continuation of the meeting that took place last week, to discuss the technical issues and the tasks that were given to the various security agencies. The meeting deliberated on all those issues, after the briefing by the National Security Adviser, which is usually the procedure.
“Again, the Council has seen it necessary to inform the general public that fight in this type of asymmetric conflict is a collective effort; it’s not something that should be confined to only the security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies. When we keep saying whole of society approach, whole of government approach, to get a whole of nation approach, what it means is that everybody has to partake in this enterprise.
“We are in a very difficult situation and Council understands. Mr. President understands people’s concerns about the growing insecurity, but I can assure you that there’s no straight, cut and dried method of dealing with this thing unless all of us embrace each other. I know people are wary, people are tired; people are beginning to gravitate to other places for self-help. The truth is that help is rooted in everyone working for the other person.
“The truth is that no country can ever overcome the difficulties of an asymmetric conflict by virtue of the fact that the enemy of the state is embedded within the population, within the wider society. It is true that the local people are averse, they’re scared, they’re worried and there’s no confidence. That is understandable. But without their support, without their cooperation in terms of giving information, it makes it very hard for the operational elements,” Monguno admitted.
Speaking on the attack on the Guards’ Brigade earlier in the week, Monguno contended that such an attack could have been averted had the civilian population been supporting the efforts of security agencies with required information.
“A few days ago, troops of the Guards Brigade were ambushed and decimated. Had there been a collective effort by way of just snippets of information, we might have averted that incident. That is not to say that the responsibility is for those outside the security domain, it’s a collective responsibility,” he noted.
Monguno further warned the media and the political elite to be sensitive in what they push out to the general public, noting that some media reports have the elements that can aggravate the already volatile situation, even as some comments coming from those considered to be leaders of thought are capable of harming the mood of society.
The NSA added that new strategies would soon be deployed by security agencies to tame the situation. “Again, the members of the armed forces have also made a commitment that in the coming weeks, they’ve already started working on a new strategy to deal with these snippets of violence and they’ve given their word, their commitment to the President that there will be a change in momentum, regardless of the fact that there might be certain institutional limitations, which they face, but they’ve understood the enormity of the responsibilities that they have,” he added.
