Insecurity: Senate meets with service chiefs

The Senate on Wednesday held a closed-door meeting with Service Chiefs in view of the prevailing security issues in the country, especially in the North East.

The two-hour meeting, chaired by the President of the Senate Bukola Saraki, was attended by other principal officers of the Senate and chairmen of security related committees.

Although newsmen were shut out of the meeting, the Leader of the Senate Ali Ndume later told newsmen that the issues discussed could not be revealed to the public.

He said that they bordered on national security and as such was for the sole consumption of those who were in attendance.

Ndume, however, expressed the satisfaction of the Senate as this was the first time the upper legislative chamber was being fully briefed on matters of security.

``We have been briefed properly but these are security issues we cannot really disclose any of it.

``Unlike before, the Senate was not abreast or updated on the efforts they are making; now we have very full, honest, open and transparent discussion on the activities.

``This is a security meeting that we just had; it will be wrong for me to disclose the details.

``We are satisfied because we have never had this kind of briefing before; we are part of it now; we know what is the problem; we know what are the challenges,” he said.

The service chiefs present were Chief of Defence Staff, Maj.-Gen. Abayomi Olonishakin; Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Tukur Buratai; Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Adm. Ibok-Ete Ibas and Chief of Air Staff, AVM Sadique Abubakar. (NAN Reports)