The apex umbrella body of Northern youths groups — Arewa Youth Assembly — has renewed its call for the immediate sack of the National Security Adviser, retired Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno, the service chiefs and heads of the nation’s security intelligence over terror attack alert in Nigeria by some countries.
The call by the Speaker of the Arewa Youth Assembly, Mohammed Danlami, in Kaduna on Friday, followed separate security advisories warning of an elevated risk of terror attacks in Abuja issued by the U.S. and the UK.
Persecondnews had reported that more foreign missions have also cautioned their citizens against non-essential travels to the Nigeria’s capital over risk of possible terror attacks.
Germany, Bulgaria, Ireland and Denmark are the latest countries to join the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom to issue travel advisories to their citizens of an increased threat of terrorist attacks particularly in Abuja.
But Information Minister Lai Mohammed had condemned and dismissed the alerts, claiming the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is safe, adding that the the military and other security agencies were up to the task of protecting Nigerians and non-citizens.
Danlami said the Department of State Services, National Intelligence Agency as well as the Service Chiefs – the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-General Farouk Yahaya, Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Isiaka Amao and the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo should be given the boot without further delay.
He said the imminent terrorists’ attack in Abuja has vindicated their call for the sacking of Monguno and others.
In August 2022, the group had called for the sack of Monguno by President Muhammadu Buhari or face mass action.
Again on August 1, it handed down a 14-day ultimatum for Buhari and went ahead to protest the failure of the President to relieve the NSA of his job.
Arewa Youth Assembly comprising youths from the 19 Northern states and Abuja, called on the President relocate to Kaduna or even his home state of Katsina since the security chiefs had failed him and other Nigerians.
“It is laughable that despite the huge in the nation’s defence budget and procurement of equipment to aide intelligence gathering, it took the intervention of the United States to expose the planned terrorists’ attack.
“For the US, UK to expose the security threat on Abuja, the seat of power, is an indication that all is not well with head of the nation’s security architect.
“The Arewa Youth Assembly, the apex umbrella body of northern Nigeria youths groups has stated that following the security advisory by United States of America’s Embassy in Nigeria to their staff and citizens over imminent terrorists attack in Abuja, which is gradually turning the nation’s capital to a ghost town, has vindicated us over our earlier call for the sack of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Mohammed Babagana Monguno Rtd.
“It is unimaginable that despite the astronomic increase in our security budget and procurement of equipments to aide intelligence gathering, it took the intervention of the US to expose the plans of the terrorists to attack our nation’s capital.
“Since our persistent call coupled with protests for the sacking of the NSA fell on deaf ears, it is important for us to let President Muhammadu Buhari realise that terrorists can plan his kidnap for ransom and succeed, if he continues with the present heads of intelligence network,” a statement by the group given to Persecondnews on Sunday said.
Arewa Youth Assembly also pointed out:
“Since there is total collapse in the intelligence gathering of our country, which has forced us to become parasitic in America, we will like to use this medium to reiterate our call for the sacking of the NSA, all heads of Intelligence Agency and Departments and also the Service Chiefs under the leadership of the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt.-Gen. Lucky Irabor.
“In the interim, we wish to call on Buhari to temporarily relocate to either Kaduna or Katsina, since the men he entrusted with the security of the nation have proven to be grossly incompetent to secure the nation’s capital, pending when competent hands would take over from them.”
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