The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday confirmed the appointment of the new Service Chief, with the President of the Red Chamber, Ahmad Lawan charging them to take the battle to the bandits and insurgents who are currently terrorizing the nation.
Those confirmed were Major General Lucky Eluoye Onyenucheya Irabor, Chief of Defence Staff; Major General Ibrahim Attahiru, Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral Awwal Zubairu Agambi, Chief of Naval Staff, and Air Vice Marshal Isiaka O. Alao, Chief of Air Staff.
“We are in a very serious situation. The security situation must be improved, and the buck is now going to stop on their tables as far as operations are concerned,” Lawan said during plenary in his remarks after the confirmation of the new security chiefs.
Lawan lamented over the dire security situation in the country, saying that by their confirmation, the service chiefs have been saddled with the responsibility of addressing the problems of banditry, kidnapping, and insurgency.
He described as “unacceptable” the recent activities of bandits which saw the kidnapping of students in Katsina, Niger, and Zamfara states, respectively.
“We in the National Assembly, particularly in the Senate, will continue to support our Armed Forces in whatever way is possible.
“We believe that there is no better investment today in Nigeria, and, indeed at any time, than investing in the security of our country, to protect the lives and properties of our people.
“And, therefore, we will continue to support them, but we expect excellence. We expect them – our armed forces – to take the fight to the bandits.
“In a situation where bandits will come to a school, take over 300 hundred students on motorcycles, and disappear into thin air without any trace is not acceptable.
“Something has to give because apparently, this is becoming an industry. Some people are benefitting from this, and we have to unravel who these people are and fight bandits and insurgents until we rescue our country.”
Lawan, therefore, advised the newly confirmed Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs to foster inter-agency cooperation among security agencies.
“Let me also advise the Service Chiefs that there must be inter-agency cooperation.
“The Army, the Airforce must coordinate their activities because they are supposed to have complementary roles.
“I wish them all the success and we promise them, and indeed Nigerians that we will support them in whatever way is possible; that the parliament will come to their support,” he added.
