The leadership of the House of Representatives has met with the Service Chiefs to discuss the upsurge of attacks by Boko Haram insurgents and other security challenges in the country.
The meeting held on Monday was at the instance of the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, which was earlier called off on Friday after some of the Service Chiefs failed to attend.
Gbajabiamila alongside his Deputy, Ahmed Idris Wase and heads of security committees of the House and their deputies also attended the meeting with the Service Chiefs today.
In his opening address, Gbajabiamila commended the security agencies but lamented the recent upsurge of attacks which is threatening to reverse the gains made by the security agencies in the recent past.
The Speaker noted that, to see the situation for himself, he recently visited Katsina, Zamfara and other states facing security challenges and was alarmed by what he saw.
Speaking on behalf of the Service Chiefs and other heads of security agencies, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonishakin informed that their absence in the last meeting was not to disrespect the House as an institution or its members, but by some pressing exigencies at the time.
He noted that security agencies had been contending with insurgency and other security challenges over the years and had recorded significant success.
General Olonishakin informed that the situation prompted the adoption of new strategies to tackle the security challenges in the country.
The Chief of Defence Staff said that the security agencies will listen to the House leadership’s concerns and observations to guide their strategies in tackling the nation’s security challenges.
Present at the meeting were the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Baba Abubakar; Comptroller General of Immigration, Mohammed Babandede and the Director of State Security Service attended the meeting.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Tukur Buratai and the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu were also presented at the meeting.
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