Presidency lists Buhari’s 22 actions against insecurity

The Presidency has enumerated 22 actions taken by President Muhammadu Buhari to tackle insecurity in the country from January to July.

Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Femi Adesina yesterday listed the actions to puncture the claims that the President had failed to act on the security challenges in the country.

Tagged: “Combating insecurity in the country: lest we forget”, the Presidency said actions were taken from January to this month.

The Presidency listed some of the actions to include, the deployment of the leadership of the police to Benue State in January after mass killings reportedly committed by herdsmen.

“This was followed by a factfinding team led by the Minister of Interior, and deployment of Special Forces of the military, to restore law and order,” Adesina said.

He also said the National Economic Council sets up 10man committee on farmers/ herdsmen clashes, headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Also, in January, the 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, Kaduna, launched a special operation, Karamin Goro (Small Kolanut), in collaboration with the Air Force, Police, Department of State Services, and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC; to tackle kidnapping, robbery and cattle rustling in parts of Kaduna and Niger States (Minna-Birnin Gwari-Pandogari and MinnaSarkin Pawa general areas)

In February, the Presidency said the Nigerian Army commenced exercise Ayem Akpatuma covering Benue, Taraba, Kogi, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Niger States, in order to tackle the cases of kidnappings, herdsmen/ farmers’ clashes, among others.

Also, in February, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) inducted its first indigenous operational Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), Tsaigumi.

“The newly-inducted UAV has day and night capability, an operational endurance in excess of 10 hours, a service ceiling of 15,000 feet and a mission radius of 100km, and is capable of being used for policing operations, disaster management, convoy protection, maritime patrol, pipeline, power line monitoring as well as mapping and border patrol duties,” it said.

Similarly, NAF established a total of 10 new Units as NAF had concluded plans to set up Quick Response Wings (QRWs) across Nasarawa State, in a bid to tackle the herders/farmers clashes plaguing some states within the axis.

In March, the Presidency said Buhari began sympathy visits to states that had experienced wanton killings in the country.

The month witnessed the extension of Exercise Ayem Akpatuma in Taraba State by two months by the Nigerian Army, and the submission of the report the committee set up by the National Economic Council on farmers/herdsmen clashes.

Two actions were taken in April including delivery of a second batch of 2 brand new Mi-35N helicopter gunships to boost internal security and deployment of Special Force to Zamfara State to combat criminality.

In May, nine critical actions were taken including the inauguration of a Mobile Squadron in Takum, Taraba State, deployment of additional security personnel to Taraba, Nasarawa, Benue, and Kaduna -Zamfara axis to armed banditry in the area.

Also in May, President Buhari approved the establishment of a new Battalion of the Nigerian Army, as well as a new Police Area Command, in Birnin Gwari LGA of Kaduna State, as part of measures to scale up the security response to the banditry affecting the area.

In the same vein, the Defence Headquarters assembled a Special Military Intervention Force comprising more than 1,000 personnel, drawn from the Army, Air Force, Navy, Police, DSS and NSCDC, to respond to the security challenges in the North Central and North West.

In June, NAF deployed combat helicopter to its 207 Quick Response Group (QRG) in Gusau, Zamfara State to support the fight against armed banditry in the town and its environs.

In July, President Buhari approved the establishment of Operation WHIRL STROKE II, for deployment in Zamfara and Kaduna States.

“Securing the length and breadth of the country is a continuing commitment. It is one of the key pledges of the Buhari administration, which it is carrying out night and day.

“In May 2015, when the administration emerged, the security situation was in tatters. It pulled up its bootstraps, rolled up its sleeves, set to work, and the Boko Haram insurgency was beaten back. It was eventually degraded. Presidency said.

“Other security challenges are being tackled and will subsequently become history. Not doing enough, as some critics claim, is not part of the deal, nor is it reality, no, not by any stretch of the imagination. A lot is being done, and success is guaranteed,” Presidency said. tackle