New Telegraph

Take battle to terrorists, Senate charges Service Chiefs

…confirms CDS, others

The Senate, yesterday, charged the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and the Service Chiefs to take the battle against the lingering terrorism in the country to the domain of the insurgents in order to overwhelm and defeat the criminals.

This was as the Senate, during plenary, confirmed the CDS and the Service Chiefs, who were recently appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari and forwarded to the Chamber for screening and approval, in accordance with constitutional provisions.

Giving the charge during plenary after the confirmation, the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, urged the newly confirmed Service Chiefs to take the fight to bandits and insur-gents in a renewed bid to ensure security of lives and property all over the country.

The confirmed nominees are: Maj-Gen. Lucky Irabor – Chief of Defence Staff; Maj-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru – Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admiral Awwal Zubairu – Chief of Naval Staff; and Air Vice Marshal Isiaka Alao – Chief of Air Staff. The Senate President bemoaned the poor security situation in the country, stressing that the confirmation of the Service Chiefs had placed on them the responsibility of tackling banditry, kidnapping and insurgency in Nigeria. “Let me take this opportunity to thank the former Service Chiefs for doing their best, and also advise the Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs that Nigerians expect so much from them. 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. Harping on the importance of security in Nigeria, the presiding officer assured of the continued support of the National Assembly to the new leadership of the military, saying: “We in the National Assembly, particularly in the Senate, will continue to support our Armed Forces in whatever way is possible.” He described as unacceptable, the recent activities of bandits which saw the kidnapping of students in Katsina, Niger and Zamfara states. “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. Therefore, we will continue to support them, but we expect excellence. We expect them to take the fight to the bandits.

“In a situation where bandits will come to a school, take over 300 students on motorcycles and disappear into thin air without any trace is not acceptable. “Something has to be done 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.” The Senate confirmed the security chiefs following the consideration and adoption of the report of its Committee on Defence by the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto North).

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