Insecurity: NSA tasks communities on information

The National Security Adviser (NSA),  Maj.- Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd),  has urged local communities in Northern Nigeria  to intensify efforts toward providing intelligence  information to security  agencies on activities of criminals there.

He said  that  such information would  enable  the security agencies  to address  the insecurity  bedeviling  states in the North Western region of the country.

Monguno made the call  in Katsina on Wednesday after meeting with Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State on security challenges bedeviling the state.

“President Muhammadu Buhari  has directed me to lead the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu; the Director General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Rufai Ahmad; the  Director General (DG) of  the  Department of State Security (DSS) Yusuf Magaji Bichi;and  the Chief of Defence Intelligence Agency, AVM MS Usman, to find solutions to the security challenges in the north western part of the country.

“We had a frank discussion with the governor on the recent happenings in  Katsina state and other states in the northwest region .

“What I saw on ground is very disturbing; obviously, we need to have collective efforts from  both local communities and  security agencies in tackling the situation.

“We need to build confidence to win the trust of the local communities,” he said.

The NSA  said that  they started with Katsina state because it was  the most affected by the problem.

He noted that they had discussions with the governor on the causes and possible solutions to the problem.

According to him, the  President Buhari-led administration has been spending  more on security than the  previous administrations since the country returned to democracy.

He said that  the security agencies would need more of intelligence information  now the local communities to end security challenges in the region. (NAN)