Monguno: Some people colluding with govt officials to undermine national security

Babagana Monguno, national security adviser (NSA), says sponsors of criminality are working with persons in “critical agencies of government” to frustrate the efforts to secure the country.

Monguno spoke on Tuesday while briefing state house correspondents after a meeting between the service chiefs and President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said people who are engaging in “underhanded, unscrupulous, mischievous and deceitful practices” will be identified and dealt with.

“I’m also to send out a warning to those people who think they can continue to behave in a manner that undermines national security,” he said.

“Those people engaging in all kinds of underhanded, unscrupulous, mischievous and deceitful practices, people who are working with those that are in government, in particular, critical agencies of government.

“We have been able to identify certain areas that are weak and these areas have to be strengthened so that these characters who are engaging in acts that you can describe as outright acts of brigandage, people who are behaving in a manner that portends a lot of danger to innocent lives, have to be fished out.”

The national security adviser also warned that the sponsors of criminality will be “brought down to their knees”.

“This is the directive from the President, I am to send a warning to those people who think they’re in close proximity with those who have the instruments to make the space easy for criminals, those people who think they have some kind of authority, who are engaging in all kinds of hocus pocus in all kinds of jiggery pokery or skullduggery, those people will be brought down to their knees,” he said.

“It is extremely important for these people, I’m sending out a message to them, anybody who thinks he can continue to pool whatever resources he has at his disposal, to frustrate the efforts of the central government in bringing about peace and security will have himself to blame.

“The new service chiefs, as well as the intelligence community, and the constabulary forces have been given clear directives by the President to target those people who are the ones leading in creating chaos, disunity, and disharmony.”