Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa has attributed the recent escalation of security challenges in parts of the country to what he described as “global push by terrorists and jihadists all over the Sahel area”.
General Musa disclosed this on Friday after a closed-door meeting President Bola Tinubu held with his service chiefs and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) at the State House in Abuja.
According to him, “Our meeting today is for us to review the entire security situation in the country. The President is concerned about what is going on. We have re-assured him that we are on top of our game. We are working extremely very hard.
“What has happened of recent is that there is a global push by terrorists and jihadists all over the Sahel area. That pressure is what actually came to Nigeria because of the nature of our borders”.
The meeting came on the heels of increasing security challenges in parts of the northern region of the country, especially Plateau, Benue and Borno states, where hundreds of lives have been lost in the last few weeks.
It is also coming just a couple of days after President Tinubu approved the immediate establishment and deployment of units of forest guards to beef up security across 1,129 forests country-wide.
Speaking after the meeting, General Musa said that President Tinubu has given directives on what to do next to address the security challenges in the country.
“So, Mr President has given directives as to what to do next for us to intensify all efforts, collaborate with all our sister countries around because it is the porous nature coming there that is actually aggravating our own issues on ground.
“All our theatres have been enhanced. Equipments have been bought. President has given us approval for air assets and other aspects of security,” Musa said.
Among those in attendance at the security meeting are Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla; and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun among others.