BREAKING: Buhari summons security, as Senate and Reps calls for their sack

Less than 24 hours after the House of Representatives and Senate asked Service chiefs over worsening security challenges, President Muhammadu Buhari has summoned a security council meeting with his security advisers and the service chiefs at the State House, Abuja.

Among those in attendance are the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha; Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari; Minister of Defense Maj. Gen. Bashir Salihi Mahashi (Rtd.); Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; and the National Security Adviser (NSA) Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (Rtd.).

Service chiefs in attendance include the Chief of Defense Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadique Abubakar; Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu; Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rafa’i Abubakar; and the Director-General of the Directorate of State Services (DSS) Yusuf Magaji Bichi.

Earlier, the House of Representatives had made a resolution on a motion by the Chief Whip of the House, Mohammed Monguno and 14 others, asking President Buhari to sack the service chiefs if they failed to resign their positions. Monguno, had expressed concern over the growing terrorist attacks and killings by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West African Province, ISWAP, in the North-East. Presenting the motion, Mohammed Monguno said: “Recently, the insurgents have forced the Nigerian Military to close traffic on the Damaturu-Maiduguri Road for some days. The Damaturu-Maiduguri Road is the only access road from Maiduguri to other parts of Nigeria.”

Similarly, the Senate had called on President Buhari to, as a matter of urgency sack the Service Chiefs. Senator Abbo who made the call said: “We have never had it bad in this country in the area of security. The Service Chiefs appointed in July 2015 and according to report by the Budget Office, from 2012 to 2014, N4.5 trillion have been received by the Military and there are grumblings within the Military and silence is no longer golden. The Service Chiefs have run out of ideas.”