Insecurity: Buhari At Meeting With Govs, Says Terrorists Are Scavengers Desperate For Food

– Asks Security Chiefs To Uncover Sources Of Small Arms

– States Seek Bailouts On Security

President Muhammadu Buhari insisted on Tuesday that Boko Haram terrorists operating in the country were “mere scavengers” desperately searching for food to survive.

He dismissed the widely held view that the terrorists are better equipped and financed than the Nigerian military, a reason they easily invade towns and cause major damage often.

The President stated that what was needed was improved intelligence gathering and sharing by the security community as well as a better cooperation between the military and the civilian populations to route the attackers.

Buhari spoke during a security meeting he held with the Nigerian Governors Forum in Abuja at the Presidential Villa.

Tuesday’s meeting came barely 24 hours after he held a similar meeting with the governors of the North-East states, the region that is the epicentre of insurgency in Nigeria.

Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, who is the Chairman of the forum, led his colleagues at the virtual meeting, where the governors complained of worsening insecurity across the Federation.

The governors had cited unemployment, poverty and the lack of trust between the military and the civilian populations as major factors pushing up insecurity, particularly banditry and kidnapping in many states.

To help fast-track the search for solutions, the governors sought for financing bailouts for the states to tackle insecurity in their respective domains.

However, Buhari told the session that a coordinated approach by the military, with the cooperation of communities, would go a long way in the search for urgent remedies.

The three-hour meeting was also attended by the Vice-President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, heads of defence, security and intelligence agencies.

The State House said Buhari used the opportunity to dispel commonly held assumptions that the terrorists in the Northeast had far more weapons and money than the government.

He stated that there were only remnants of insurgents, whom Buhari described as “mere scavengers desperate for food, raiding shops and markets, and killing innocent persons in the process.”

The President also expressed concern that in spite of the fact that borders with neighbouring countries had been shut, bandits and terrorists continued to have access to small weapons.

“These terrorists are in the localities. How is it that they are not short of small arms?” he asked the security chiefs.

Presidential spokesman, Mr Garba Shehu, quoting Buhari’s comments, wrote, “We have said enough on the need for them to rejig their operations. I am glad that there is better synergy and cooperation which are very important.

“I have directed the service chiefs to meet among themselves in-between the National Security Council meetings. The services have resources; yes, they need more, and mobility, and are doing their best, but there is a need for better gathering and interpretation of intelligence.

“Our intelligence-gathering must be improved.”

He informed the governors of the imminent shipment of military weapons and aircraft from Jordan, China and the United States, “but again asked for patience on the part of the public because the new weapons and aircraft must be manned by trained fighters and pilots who must first receive appropriate training.”

Buhari also said he was satisfied with the level of support from neighbouring countries in the war against terrorism.

He added, “They are cooperating with us. On Boko Haram, we are making progress with Benin, Niger, Chad and Cameroon,” he said, while restating that intelligence-gathering must improve to be able to track small arms in the Northwest, North Central and Northeast States.”

Besides the factors earlier identified by the governors as responsible for insecurity, they also pointed to the problem of coordination among military and security chiefs and played up their own security roles, “which included USD1 billion they allowed the President to withdraw from the Excess Crude Account for weapons procurement two years ago. “