Insecurity may threaten 2019 polls, security chiefs warn

Top security chiefs have warned that insecurity around the country should be brought down because it is capable of threatening the 2019 general elections, it was learnt yesterday.

The security chiefs according to sources, told participants at the just-concluded national security summit organised by the Senate in Abuja.

They were said to have cautioned that stringent and decisive measures should be taken to address the situation in the interest of the country.

The security chiefs briefed senators and other stakeholders behind closed doors at the Nigeria Air Force Conference Centre venue of the Summit.
Insiders at the secretive briefing said that the security chiefs painted a bad picture of the evolving scenario and warned of dire consequences if nothing was done urgently to arrest the situation.

One of the sources noted that the point was made clear that unless decisive action was taken to arrest the worrisome clashes between “farmers and herdsmen, kidnappings, terrorism and other social vices, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) might be hindered in its plan for the elections.

He said that the security chiefs made it clear that the support of stakeholders in the country was required to salvage the situation.

“It was a frank talk. Heads of all the security agencies briefed us. You know it was a closed-session and many things were said which I cannot relay to you. We were scared about some of the things we heard. They were indeed scary and must be taken seriously.”
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who inaugurated the summit last Thursday highlighted measures government is taking to restore peace and order in the country.
Osinbajo specifically decaled it was no longer realistic to police a country as huge as Nigerian from the capital city of Abuja.
Senate ad-hoc committee led by the Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, is expected to submit resolutions of the summit to the Senate in plenary. Discussion on the way forward is likely to be held in camera.