President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered security chiefs and heads of intelligence agencies to prosecute anyone involved in oil theft on Thursday, saying that his administration would not stand for such a threat.
The President added that while other nations are working, progressing, and making great achievements, Nigeria should not fall to her knees because of security challenges.
This was said by President Tinubu during his first official meeting with the heads of security and intelligence, who was accompanied by General Lucky Irabor, the Chief of Defence Staff, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The National Security Advisor, NSA, Major Gen. Bafana Monguno (retd), informed State House reporters following the two-hour meeting that the President had instructed heads of security agencies to release their plans.
He claimed it was an evaluation meeting where the president would learn about the activities of the various security formations and share his own philosophy and expectations with the security heads.
He said, “The President and Commander in Chief of the armed forces has just concluded a meeting of the general security appraisal committee consisting of the Chief of Staff service chiefs Inspector General of Police, and heads of the intelligence agencies.
” This is the very first meeting he’s had with the heads of the security agencies. The meeting lasted for two hours.
“Having been briefed by the participants of the meeting, President Tinubu, addressed prevailing issues confronting the nation in terms of insecurity and also mentioned his own philosophy towards dealing with national security issues.
“First and foremost, he appreciated the armed forces, intelligence agencies, and the wider paramilitary agencies for the work they have been doing in the past couple of years. Their sacrifice, their loyalty, and he also paid tribute to those who died in defending this country, from the great big menace of terrorism, insurgency banditry, oil theft, sea robbery, piracy, etc.
“The President has made it very clear that he’s determined to build on whatever gains that have been made, reverse misfortunes, and turn the tide in our favour.
“As far as he’s concerned, this country should not be on its knees struggling while other countries are working and achieving greater heights.”
President Tinubu stressed that his own philosophy is one of the modern security measures dealing with the needs of the time in saying that he needs the security agencies to step up their efforts in moving the country forward.
According to the NSA, “He has made it very clear that he will not accept a situation in which our fortunes keep declining. And his own trajectory is that national security has to be coordinated, there has to be whatever…whether it is a basket system, but there must be a clearing house.
“All agencies must work to achieve one single purpose. Working at cross purposes and colliding with each other is not something that he will condone. He has made it very, very clear that all security agencies must comply with the demands of coordination, frequent consultations, and timely reports that must be acted on.
“He is going to embark on a lot of reforms in terms of our security architecture, he is going to take a closer look at our misfortunes in the maritime domain, focusing particularly on the issues of oil theft, that as far as he is concerned, he is not going to tolerate oil theft Wherever the problem is coming from, it must be crushed as soon as possible.
He has already mandated the security agencies to come up with a blueprint, as far as he knows, and as far as he is concerned, he doesn’t have the luxury of time. And whatever changes are made, they have to be done as soon as possible.
“The President also has decided that whatever ventures the armed forces are going to be engaged in, they must carry along those operatives in the theatre. They must be well-fed, well-kitted, motivated, and given all that they require.
“The President has said clearly that he will do whatever is within his powers to enable the operational elements, but the intelligence agencies must also make their work easy for them by providing the type of intelligence that they require to carry out the assignment.”