Jonathan meets with service chiefs

 President Goodluck Jonathan again met with the National Security Council, Monday,for the second time in four days apparently in continuation of the assessment  of  the security situation in the country.

The National Security Council which is made up of the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chiefs of the Army, Airforce and Navy as well as the Inspector General of Police and the Director General of the State Security Service met on Friday last week to brief the President on the attack in Bama in Borno and Nassarawa states that led to death of over fifty policemen men and other members of the security services.

It would be recalled that President Jonathan cut short his visit to South Africa and cancelled his state visit to Namibia following the attack on policemen in Nassarawa that led to the death of over fifty policemen.

As usual, yesterday’s meeting ended without any formal briefing on its outcome but it may not be unconnected with fashioning a way to deal with the worsening security situation in the country especially the wanton killing of members of the security services.

Though the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati has denied speculation that government may be planning to declare a state of emergency in some of the worst affected states while violence has escalated in recent times, there has been growing concern that government must respond strongly to the attacks to restore the citizens confidence in the armed services.

Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar whose men were gruelsomely murdered in Nassarawa state has vowed to bring perpetrators of the heinous crime to book.

The Minister of Police Affairs, Caleb Oolubolade has however ruled out a repraisal attack by the police on the community where the crime was perpetrated saying such an action would not help in building people’s confidence in the security services.