‘Crush Anyone Involved In Oil Theft’, Tinubu Tells Service Chiefs

• Set to embark on reforms in terms of our security architecture

• Says Nigeria can’t be on its knees while other countries are making progress

• Mandates security heads to come up with a blueprint

Eko Hot Blog reports that President Bola Tinubu has instructed Service Chiefs crush to anyone involved in oil theft.

Speaking at his first meeting with the service chiefs led by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Tinubu said his administration will not tolerate such menace.

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Briefing State House correspondents after the meeting that lasted about two hours, the National Security Adviser, NSA, Major Gen. Bafana Monguno (retd), said the meeting was an appraisal meeting for the President to get a briefing on the activities of the different security formations and for him to tell them his own philosophy and what he expects from the security heads.

The NSA said the president told the security chiefs about his determination to build on gains made so far, reverse misfortunes and turn the tide in favour of the country.

He added that Tinubu said the country should not be on its knees struggling while other countries were walking and achieving greater heights.

He said: “Having been briefed by the participants of the meeting, Mr. President, addressed prevailing issues confronting the nation in terms of insecurity and also mentioned his own philosophy towards dealing with national security issues.

“First and foremost, he appreciated the armed forces and intelligence agencies and the wider paramilitary agencies for the work they have been doing in the past couple of years. Their sacrifice, their loyalty, and he also paid tribute to those who died in defending this country, from the great big menace of terrorism, insurgency, banditry, oil theft, sea robbery, piracy, etc, etc.

“He is going to embark on a lot of reforms in terms of our security architecture, he is going to take a closer look at our misfortunes in the maritime domain, focusing particularly on the issues of oil theft, that is not going to tolerate. Wherever the problem is coming from, it must be crushed as soon as possible.

“He is already mandated by the security agencies to come up with a blueprint as far as he knows as far as it’s concerned, it doesn’t have the luxury of time. And whatever changes will be made have to be done as soon as possible.

“The President also has decided that whatever ventures the armed forces are going to be engaged in, they must carry along those operatives in the theatre. They must be well-fed, well-kitted, motivated, and given all that they require.

“President has said clearly that you will do whatever is within his powers to enable the operational elements but the intelligence agencies must also make their work easy for them by providing the type of intelligence that they require to carry out the assignment.”

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Those in attendance at the President’s first engagement with heads of the nation’s security and intelligence agencies include the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Farouk Yahaya; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo; the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Isiaka Amao; and the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba.

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