SECURITY ALERT WITH JIDE

Sambo meets service chiefs over insecurity in the north.

Following the persistent violence in Kaduna and Yobe states, in the last three days,Vice President Nnamadi Sambo, met with all the service chiefs in Abuja to discuss and review the security situation in the states .

The meeting, which was held at the Presidential Villa behind closed door, was attended by the National Security Adviser, General Owoye Azazi; the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshall Oluseyi Petinrin; Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika and the Director-General of State Security Service,  Ekpeyong Ita.

Others were the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall Mohammed Umar, Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ola Ibrahim and the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Abubakar Mohammed.

Figures from police and the Red Cross showed on Wednesday that at least 80 people have been killed since Monday in clashes in the two states triggered by Boko Haram, the fundamentalist sect that is waging an insurgency against the government.

According to General Azazi, there was no iota of truth in the claim that the crisis in these two states had escalated, adding that even though it was serious before, the security agents were in control.

He also stated that the Governor of Kaduna State, Mr. Patrick Yakowa, was already discussing with religious leaders on how to end the crisis.

The General noted that what should be paramount in the mind of Nigerians was how to extend the discussion to the national level.

He said the discussion in Kaduna was not late, adding that talking could never be late.