The report that the Federal Government has admitted that Nigerians are tired of the current security challenges facing the nation and that the government is currently working on new strategies to curtail the worsening insecurity in the country is one of the trending stories in Nigerian newspapers on Friday.
The Guardian reports that the Federal Government, yesterday, admitted that Nigerians are tired of the current security challenges facing the nation.
Rising from its closed-door meeting, which lasted more than five hours, the National Security Council acknowledged the deteriorating insecurity across the country, fueling fears among the population and making citizens to tend towards seeking self-help.
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd), who stated this while speaking with newsmen after the meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, however, said government was currently working on new strategies to curtail the worsening insecurity in the country.
According to him, the Security Council has agreed on new strategies to curtail the menace, assuring that there will be a renewed momentum against terrorism.
DESPITE government’s assurances, the National Assembly, yesterday, moved closer to actualising its threat to impeach President Buhari, as members of the Minority caucus in the House of Representatives expressed willingness to support the Senate in effecting the removal of the President.
Rising from a joint meeting with the opposition Senators, leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the House, Ndudi Elumelu, said the Presidency would be served the impeachment notice as soon as the six weeks ultimatum is over.
The newspaper says that until the Dangote Refinery comes on stream, there may be no respite from aviation fuel crisis rocking both airlines and the industry at large.
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, said this in reaction to the astronomical rise of aviation fuel, just as the essential commodity reached a new record high of N1000/litre.
Local airline operators, on Wednesday, hinted that the price of aviation fuel has continued to rise, hovering around N900/litre in Lagos and N1000/litre in the northern part of the country.
The operators earlier warned the travelling public to brace up for the worst of flight delays and cancellations as fuel scarcity continued to worsen at the ramp.
Already, and subject to availability, airfares now range between N75, 000 to N110, 000 for one-way economy seats. Round-trip tickets cost between N130, 000 to N180, 000, depending on route, airline of choice and time of purchase. With two airlines also closing shop, the route network has also shrunk with limited destinations for customers to travel.
Sirika, at a meeting with the airline operators, said the Federal Government was not unaware of the global challenges and its biting realities in the country.
He said: “Energy crisis is real and it is global. Today, there is an aviation fuel problem all over the world; from America to New Zealand. It is aggravating in Nigeria because we don’t produce the product. It is aggravated also because foreign exchange is scarce in Nigeria and the source of earning the foreign exchange has also dwindled.”
The Punch reports that the Nigerian Army has on Friday, announced a reshuffling of its leadership by appointing new General Commanders, Corp Commanders, Commandants of training institutions, Brigade Commanders, and Commanding Officers amongst others.
According to a statement by the Defence Headquarters, signed by the Director, Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, approved the posting and appointment of some senior officers in order to tackle the spate of security breaches rocking the country.
The PUNCH reports that suspected terrorists had yesterday attacked a military checkpoint at Zuma Rock, around the Niger-Abuja border, an incident that followed the attack on the Presidential Guards Brigade late Sunday at the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory by suspected terrorists.
The statement announcing the reshuffle of the Army read partly, “In an effort to reposition the Nigerian Army for operational efficiency and proficiency, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, has approved the posting and appointment of some senior officers of the Nigerian Army to command, instructional and staff appointments across NA formations and units
“Those affected in the redeployment released on Thursday, July 28, 2022, include some Principal Staff Officers of the Army Headquarters, General Officers Commanding, Corps Commanders, Commandants of training institutions, Brigade Commanders, Commanding Officers, amongst others.
“Some of the senior officers appointed as General Officers Commanding are Major General UT Musa from Headquarters 81 Division to Headquarters 82 Division and appointed GOC, Major General TA Lagbaja from Headquarters 82 Division to Headquarters 1 Division and appointed GOC, Major General OC Ajunwa from Nigeria Defence Section Brasilia to HQ 81 Division and appointed GOC , while Major General AS Chinade was redeployed from Depot Nigerian Army to Headquarters 2 Division and appointed GOC.”
The newspaper says that opposition lawmakers in the National Assembly on Thursday said there was no going back on their plan to impeach the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (Retd.), if he failed to resolve the insecurity in the country within six weeks.
The lawmakers, consisting of the Peoples Democratic Party and All Progressives Grand Alliance members, contended that insecurity had reached the peak under Buhari’s regime.
They spoke about the same time that the President was meeting the nation’s security chiefs under the auspices of the National Security Council at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
This happened as bandits again raided Pinau village in the Wase Local Government of Plateau state and killed six persons.
But restating their six-week ultimatum to the President at a press briefing in Abuja, the opposition lawmakers said they were tired of the worsening insecurity in the country and could no longer keep quiet over the state of the nation.
Addressing journalists after a closed-door session, the Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu said they were ready to fight the President ‘tooth and nail until the insecurity issues had been resolved.’
Elumelu said, “They (Senators) have given six to eight weeks for Mr. President to address the insecurity that is, of course, affecting this nation, and I want to also join on behalf of my colleagues, also to say that upon the expiration, we will proffer ways of ensuring that we will gather all the signatures.”
The Nation reports that scores of terrorists suspected to be members of the Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) on Thursday night attacked soldiers of the Guards Brigade at the Zumu Rock, Madalla area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Abuja.
This is the second attack within 48 hours on the seat of power targeted at the elite brigade responsible for the safety of Presidential Villa, military formations and other critical national assets housing top hierarchy of government.
The Nation reports that these attacks came days after terrorists who kidnapped Abuja-Kaduna train passengers some months ago released a video where they threatened to kidnap President Buhari.
It was learnt that Thursday night’s attack occurred few minutes past 9pm at the 102 Guards Battalion along the Abuja/Kaduna expressway.
The terrorists were said to have gunned down some of the soldiers on duty in an attempt to take over the barracks, but were later overpowered as reinforcement troops were drafted from closest police, military formations.
Hours before the attack, Nigerians on Twitter who reside in that axis raised alarm about heavy shooting around the Zuma Rock area with some alleging that criminals were kidnapping people.
It was learnt that all the barracks in the FCT are on red alert as the authorities have ordered soldiers to defend the city.
GIK/APA