President Muhammadu Buhari, Tuesday, met behind closed doors with Service Chiefs and heads of security agencies at presidential villa, Abuja.
The meeting which was meant to brief the President who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigeria Armed Forces on security situation in the country especially the recent killings in Kaduna, started about 11a.m., and lasted to 1:30 p.m.
Though the State House correspondents had waited to hear from the Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, on the accusation leveled against the Nigerian Army by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of meddlesomeness in Rivers State elections, he declined to entertain questions.
Asked by reporters to react to the allegation, Buratai referred them to the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Adamu as he said, “The IG will speak.”
However, when the IGP was approached, he too declined to speak saying that there would be no official briefing.
INEC had condemned what it described as the role played by some soldiers and armed gangs in Rivers State which it said led to the disruption of the electoral process.
A National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee in INEC, Festus Okoye, had said the action which took place during the March 19 election was an attempt to subvert the will of the people.
Tuesday’s security meeting came barely four days to the supplementary election scheduled for some states with inconclusive gubernatorial polls.
At the meeting included General Gabriel Olonishakin, Chief of Defence Staff; Lt. Gen. Yusuf Buratai, Chief of Army Staff; Ibok-Ete Ibas, Chief of Naval Staff, and Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar, Chief of Air Staff.
Also present were Major-Gen. Babagana Monguno, the National Security Adviser; Ahmed Abubakar, Director of National Intelligence Agency, NIA; Yusuf Bichi, the Director-General, Department of Security Service, DSS; IGP Mohammed Adamu, the Acting Inspector-General of Police and Brigadier-Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali, the Chief of Defence Intelligence and the Minister of Defence.
