The National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Mungono, has said the Federal Government had identified certain lapses mitigating against successful prosecution of the war against banditry and kidnapping especially in most of the North-western states of the country.
Briefing reporters at the end of a meeting with Katsina State governor, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari, at the Government House yesterday, the NSA said that government was disturbed over the mass killing of residents across a number of communities in the area.
“These incidents have become extremely intolerable and they are unacceptable both for the federal and state governments,” he said while explaining that the security chiefs were in Katsina on a directive from President Muhammadu Buhari.
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He said, “Mr President directed that I come with my colleagues, the Director-General of the DSS, the Director-General of the NIA, the Inspector-General of Police and the Chief of Defence Intelligence, to have open and frank discussions with the governor of Katsina State regarding the occurrences of the last couple of weeks.
“We have identified some gaps and we need to fill them and we also need to know what is behind these problems and address them from a collective point of view.
“Since we have realised where the gaps are, it is our intention to work collectively not just as security agencies but also working in partnership with the state government and also bring in the wider society.
“If you recall, a National Security Strategy was launched a few months ago by the office of the National Security Adviser and it has an emphasis on human security as the center point of the National Security Strategy of 2019.
“We are going to look into the areas that specify on national security strategy to bring to end the current threat facing not only Katsina State but also some other states including Zamfara, Kaduna, Kebbi and Sokoto, among others.”
The NSA said that the statement credited to the Presidency insinuating that unnamed traditional rulers have been identified collaborating with the hoodlums is something for another day.
Suspected bandits and kidnappers have in recent weeks, intensified their attacks on communities in parts of Katsina State with over 70 persons reportedly killed across a number of villages which share boundaries with the Rugu forest.
Masari had entered into a certain peace accord with the bandits in 2019 but with the resurgence in the attacks, the Governor in a recent statement proclaimed the accord dead
