Insecurity: NSA Seeks Nigerians’ Cooperation To Defeat Terrorism

The National Security Adviser, NSA Maj. Gen Babagana Mongonu (rtd) has solicited the cooperation of Nigerians in the fight against insecurity.

The NSA said security forces alone cannot confront the challenges alone, saying the federal government is on top of the issue.

Mongonu spoke after the National Security Council,NSC meeting President Muhammadu Buhari had with all the service chiefs and other top government officials.

The meeting, the third within a month comes on the heel of spate of attacks by terrorists across the country, the latest being the killing in Abuja, of some soldiers in the Presidential Guards Brigade, which drew serious outbursts from not a few Nigerians.

Speaking after the meeting with President Buhari on Wednesday, the NSA said the government is determined to fight insecurity with the help of Nigerians.

The war against terrorism cannot be won except people volunteer information to security agencies.

“The council deems it necessary to inform the general public, that fighting 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,” Mongunu said.

He explained further that, “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, the cooperation in terms of giving information, it makes it very hard for the operational elements.

“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 weary, 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.”

Meanwhile, the Defence headquarters has disclosed that security agencies have neutralized 30 out of the terrorists who carried out the attack on the Guard Brigade.

Maj.-Gen. Bernard Onyeuko, director, Defence, Media operations while speaking in Abuja on Thursday, said the onslaught against the terrorists was conducted by troops of 7 Guards Battalion and 167 Special Forces Battalion in conjunction with the air component of “Operation Whirl Punch”