National Security Adviser, NSA, retired Major General Babagana Monguno, has stressed the need for Nigerians to shelve various shades of differences among them and unite against crime.
Speaking in Abuja at the 60th session of State House Ministerial briefing, the NSA noted that holding on to ethnic, religious, regional, sectional, and political differences above the interest of the country would strengthen the urge of criminals to unleash even greater harm.
While commending security personnel deployed to fight insecurity and paying tributes to those that had paid the supreme price in the maintenance of peace and security, the NSA said their resilience in reducing the tempo of instability must be celebrated by Nigerians.
He revealed that the country’s insecurity situation was propelled by multiple internal issues driven by political and socio-economic grievances, and bellowed by external developments within the West African sub-region as well as some overseas aggressors.
Acknowledging that the various security threats had impacted positively on the dynamics of the nation’s strategies, he however said key drivers of instability had either been neutralized or arrested.
Major General Monguno rtd. noted that the Nigerian Navy, in collaboration with credible partners, had significantly curb the scale of piracy on the Gulf of Guinea globally identified as a piracy infested route.
He said the Falcon Eye Project was a comprehensive, strategic coastal surveillance system, born out of the necessity to combat the myriad of challenges within the Nigerian maritime domain.
The NSA said the challenges in question were kidnapping of oil workers, piracy, crude oil theft, illegal bunkering, maritime terrorism, human and narcotic smuggling, illegal fishing, marine pollution, and several other related criminal activities.
So far, according to him, over 200 vessels involved in marine criminality within Nigeria’s exclusive economic zone, have been arrested.
Similarly, the NSA said over 82 oil tankers involved in various crude oil and products theft had been arrested, while the theft of over 3 billion barrels of crude oil was prevented, and 11 million litres of petrol and diesel were recovered.
He said over 38 fishing trawlers and vessels involved in unregulated and illegal activities were also arrested.
Retired Major General Monguno called on the media to rise up against the growth of fake news and hate speech and their effects on national security and integration.
He also said dealing with insecurity would require what he described as a whole of nation approach, which will entail the sincere involvement of every sphere in the maintenance of peace.
Bello Wakili