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Tag: NSA

  • How we rescued over 1000 abductees without making noise – NSA

    How we rescued over 1000 abductees without making noise – NSA

    The National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, says the Federal Government has rescued over 1,000 victims of verified mass abduction across the country without paying ransom.

    Ribadu said on Monday in Abuja while receiving 22 rescued students and staff of the Federal University Gusau, that the covert operations were conducted in the last few months.

    He said the successful rescue operations were testimonies to the efforts of the government to free all those being unlawfully held in captivity.

    “We have so far released over a thousand of such victims without noise and in complete respect for their privacy and safety.

    “We released people from Zambara, Sokoto, Kaduna, Katsina, Taraba, Adamawa, and so many other states.

    “Thousands, but never said a word and we thank God for that, and maybe that is the reason why we are so far very successful.

    “This occasion marks a final juncture in a series of rescues we have undertaken in the last few months to free victims of recent cases of mass abductions that are verified.

    “It is making a difference, it is a matter of time and we will see the outcome of the work we are doing,” he said.

    The NSA said the victims were rescued unhurt and without any of the female abductees molested, adding that it was a marked departure from what had been the case in the past.

    According to him, going forward, the government is strengthening law enforcement and security measures to prevent further abductions.

    He added that the government would strengthen physical security across vulnerable communities in the country.

    “This work is done by our security forces, our armed forces, our police, our intelligence agencies.

    “All of us collectively have done this work together and we all are fully participating and this is the outcome of it,” he said.

    Ribadu commended the leadership of President Bola Tinubu for working assiduously to  address insecurity in the country.

    According to him, the efforts have led to great improvement in recent times in taming  terrorists attacks.

    Recall that those rescued were abducted from the school on Sept. 22, 2023 when bandits attacked three off-campus students’ hostels at Sabon Gida in Gusau.

    Those kidnapped from the university included female students, some male artisans, a private security guard and a protocol officer.

  • Insecurity: Ribadu, service chiefs, Northern governors meet in Abuja

    Insecurity: Ribadu, service chiefs, Northern governors meet in Abuja

    Following the incessant cases of kidnapping and abduction in the country, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, convened a meeting with Northern Governors’ Forum and Service Chiefs including the Inspector General of Police and the Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

    The meeting was held behind closed on Thursday in Abuja and it lasted for over four hours and after the meeting, the chairman of the forum, Governor Inuwa Yahaya Of Gombe State, spoke on the outcome of the meeting.

    According to him, there are plans in the making by the forum to employ alternative means to arrest the increasing insecurity in the north.

    He  added that the military will be supported in their non-kinetic approach to curtail insurgency.

    Last week, bandits abducted about 300 students from a school in Kuriga, a town in the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

    At a separate news conference, the military vowed to rescue all abducted victims.

    On the abduction of internally displaced persons in Gamboru-Ngala in Borno State, the military explained that they went beyond permissible distance from the camp.

    Also, the Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj-Gen Edward Buba, said the delay in reporting such incidents is hampering quick response from security agencies and other responders.

  • BREAKING: NSA, Service Chiefs in closed-door meeting with Senate over security crisis

    BREAKING: NSA, Service Chiefs in closed-door meeting with Senate over security crisis

    National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu and the nation’s service chiefs have entered a Closed-Door meeting over the security in the country.

    Those in attendance include the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, the Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Air Staff, Hassan Abubakar and the Chief of Naval Staff, Emmanuel Ogalla.

    Others are the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; the Director General of the State Services, Yusuf Magaji Bichi, and the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufai Abubakar.

     

    Ministers in attendance include the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru; Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle; Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Geidam; Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo and the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun.

    Prior to the closed-door session, Senate President Godswill Akpabio apologised for commencing behind schedule.

    “I want to thank the service chiefs who were earlier here in the Senate before we adjourned. The only addition is that we now felt that the ministers should also come because they are supervising most of the finances of these security agencies”

    “We can talk security but we need money also procure equipment and to do a lot of things. Your presence here will give us insights into how funding is being handled to ensure the security of lives and properties.

    “The Senate decided to take this option for us to have a session because of the various petitions that we have received from our constituents. As part of our major oversight function, we decided to do this through the Committee of a Whole.”

    The  meeting comes a week after the Red chamber invited the security chiefs but postponed it following the absence of the defence chief and the NSA.

     

     

     

  • Nigeria still losing 400,000 barrels of crude oil daily – Ribadu

    Nigeria still losing 400,000 barrels of crude oil daily – Ribadu

    The National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, says the country is still losing 400,000 barrels of crude oil daily to local and international thieves despite efforts to end the menace.

    Ribadu confirmed this when he led a presidential delegation to inspect oil and gas facilities at Owaza in Abia and Odogwa in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers on Saturday.

    He said the activities of oil thieves and pipeline vandals had impacted negatively on the nation’s economy and were partly responsible for the rising cost of living in the country.

    “It’s unfortunate that few individuals would steal our common resources, and in the process cause unbelievable loss to both the nation, communities and the people.

    “Nigeria has the capacity to produce 2 million barrels of crude daily, but we are currently producing less than 1.6 million barrels due to theft and vandalism of pipelines.

    “So, we are talking about 400,000 barrels of crude oil going to waste with few criminals and economic saboteurs not even getting much out of it,” he said.

    Ribadu said the operators of artisanal refineries collect a small quantity of crude oil when they broke the pipelines while larger volumes of oil were spilled on the environment.

    “The value of 400,000 barrels of oil today is about 4 million dollars, and every day, we lose this amount because of this irresponsible behaviour.

    “If you multiply 4 million dollars by 365 days (one year), you will see that it is a lot of money running into billions of dollars.

    “Currently, the country is in desperate need of money as the Naira is continuously losing its value because we earn less money.

    “If we earn more money, it will not only help strengthen our currency but reflect in everything, including cost of living in the country,” he added.

    The NSA said that the President Bola Tinubu administration was concerned about the development and was already taking actionable steps to address the matter.

    He said huge investments made by the government in building infrastructures for the common good of all were being destroyed by few individuals, and in the process, destroying the environment.

    Ribadu called for a united front to tackle oil theft and end decades of attacks on the nation’s oil and gas infrastructures.

    “We are working hard with the security forces and those employed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited to secure our facilities and end this madness called oil theft,” he said.

    According to reports, on the presidential delegation with the NSA were the Minister of Defence, Baduru Abubakar, and Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa.

    Others included the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar; Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, and Minister of State (Oil), Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri.

    The Minister of State (Gas), Petroleum Resources, Ekperipe Ekpo, and senior management officials of the NNPCL as well as other top security personnel were part of tbe team.

  • FG to amend Cybercrime Act to reflect emerging technologies’ trend – NSA

    FG to amend Cybercrime Act to reflect emerging technologies’ trend – NSA

    The National Security Adviser, Mr Nuhu Ribadu, on Wednesday says the Federal Government is currently putting measures in place to amend the 2015 Cybercrimes Act .

    Ribadu disclosed this at a two-day conference by the Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria (CSEAN) in Abuja, under the theme “Cybersecurity: A Digital Transformative Tool in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals’’.

    Represented by Dr Bala Fakandu, Manager, Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT), Ribadu recognised the existence of emerging technologies which bad state actors are already leveraging to perpetrate cybercrimes.

    The NSA said,” it is worthy to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of critical information systems because cybersecurity is an enabler for a better and more sustainable future.

    “As we embrace the rapid evolution of technology, we must be mindful of new and exciting areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning and blockchain technologies that will continue to affect the future.

    “This is bearing in mind that criminal elements are already exploiting new technologies to progress their illicit activities.

    “Consequently, the FG is currently making efforts to amend the Cybercrimes Act 2015 and the issue of AI and virtual assets are amongst several critical inputs from stakeholders being considered.”

    ‘Ribadu  further said that the Federal Government considered cybersecurity incident management and protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) as a vital component for national development.

    According to him, the Presidential Order on the designation and protection of CNII currently awaiting President Bola Tinubu’s assent will enhance Nigeria’s current efforts for progressive economic prosperity, national development and attainment of national security objectives.

    He added: “This underscores the need for continuous cybersecurity awareness in the wake of increased cyber threats from both states and non-state actors.’’

    The NSA said that Nigeria had recorded remarkable strides in cybersecurity by fostering international cooperation and collaborations to combat cyber threats, thereby making her a trusted player in the global digital space.

    President of CSEAN, Mr Ade Shoyinka, said that the continued perpetration of cybercrime by non-state actors without adequate proactive measures would jeopardise Nigeria’s chances of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of 2030.

    With 17 goals and 169 targets, Shoyinka said the world cannot attain the SDGs without considering the role of technology and cyber security.

    He decried that the activities of cyber criminals has become rampant and crippling economies, while some services of cyber crime are being distributed in the public domain.

    Shoynika said: “The availability of cryptocurrency has also made it easier to conduct transactions anonymously, further fuelling the growth of Ransomware as a service.

    “One of such is Genesis Marketplace, available both on the dark web and the public internet; this is like selling a banned substance in a supermarket.

    “This service provides an avenue for attackers to buy digital fingerprints, making it possible for entry-level cybercriminals to purchase malware, malware deployment services and sell stolen credentials and other data in bulk.

    “The bad actors will continue to undermine our ability to achieve the SDGs, considering the significance of cybercrime in relation to achieving the SDGs, the greater our chances of countering the efforts of bad actors who seek to hinder our progress.’’

    The CSEAN president called on governments, private sector, and civil society groups to unite to combat cyber threats.

    The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery, said they have always engaged with Nigeria constructively to promote global growth and security.

    Represented by Ms Magdalene Lagu, Head of Governance and Stability, he said they were committed to continuing capacity building work in Nigeria through funding some of its programmes.

    “We work hard to see a wide range of cyber stakeholders’ engagement across the private sector, civil society to retain a true understanding of Nigeria’s cyber ecosystem and ensure to support Nigeria against cybercrime,’’ he said.

    The conference featured technical sessions, hackathon and the presentation of a research report on cyber threats to Nigeria in 2022,among other activities.

  • Tinubu meets security chiefs, NSA at state house

    Tinubu meets security chiefs, NSA at state house

    President Bola Tinubu is meeting with service chiefs and National Security Adviser {NSA}, Nuhu Ribadu at the State House, Abuja.

    They are Maj. Gen. C.G. Musa, Chief of Defence Staff, Maj. Gen. T.A. Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff, Rear Admiral E.A. Ogalla, Chief of Naval Staff, AVM H.B. Abubakar, and Kayode Egbetokun, Acting Inspector-General of Police.

    It was learnt that the meeting began at 03:00 pm local time is Tinubu’s first known in-person engagement with the security helmsmen since their appointment on June 19.

    Recall that Tinubu had on June 19 removed all the service chiefs he met in office exactly three weeks after his inauguration and appointed new ones whom he directed to resume with immediate effect.

    Details later

  • JUST IN: Ribadu formally takes over from Monguno as NSA

    JUST IN: Ribadu formally takes over from Monguno as NSA

    Mallam Nuhu Ribadu has formally taken over from Maj Gen Monguno as National Security Adviser.

    Ribadu promises to live up to the expectations of Nigerians and also appreciated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for renewing hope of a more secure nation.

    TheNewsGuru Recalls that Tinubu appointed Mr. Ribadu as NSA, the first without military background since the return to democratic governance in 1999.

    The announcement of his appointment put to rest the speculations that the president might consider a non-military person for the position.

     

  • How terrorists sustain their activities in Nigeria – Ex-NSA

    How terrorists sustain their activities in Nigeria – Ex-NSA

    While stressing that Nigeria remains committed to bringing terrorists to justice, former National Security Adviser (NSA), Retired Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno has disclosed how terrorist groups sustain their activities and carry out fresh attacks in the country.

    Monguno made this known at the Session II Third United Nations High-Level Conference of Heads of Counter-Terrorism Agencies of Member States at UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday.

    The Conference, which opened on Monday is expected to host 40 side events backed by State Members and multilateral organisations.

    The former NSA said that with partnerships from specialised UN agencies and international partners, Nigeria had continued to strengthen its criminal justice provisions and judicial frameworks to secure the conviction of terrorism offenders.

    “At both state and federal levels, Nigeria is building institutional capacity to effectively rehabilitate and reintegrate low-risk affiliates of terrorist groups through the “OPERATION SAFE CORRIDOR” and other home-grown initiatives by state governments in the North-East.

    “Likewise, our efforts at enhancing support to victims have involved the establishment of the North-East Development Commission and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development which continue to embark on projects to rebuild communities affected by terrorist attacks and address the conditions conducive to terrorism,’’ he said.

    According to him, the transnational nature of terrorism underscores the importance of strengthening regional institutions and mechanisms to counter the threat.

    “It is in this connection and that Nigeria and the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) will jointly host the next African Regional Counter Terrorism Summit in Abuja in the first quarter of 2024.

    “This is to identify challenges as well as foster precipitous and collective action to strengthen national and regional institutions to effectively counter the threat of terrorism in Africa.

    “We look forward to welcoming our African colleagues and key partners to this important event,” he said.

    Monguno further said that building resilient institutions was not only essential to denying terrorists the freedom to carry out their heinous activities but also fundamental to bringing them to justice.

    He said it was essential to provide protection for vulnerable communities and addressing the drivers of radicalisation.

    “In the light of the evolving global terrorism landscape, national governments must continue to update legislation in order to build and strengthen national institutions to better respond to threats within and outside their borders.

    “In Nigeria, the National Counter Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST) of 2016 and the Policy Framework and National Action Plan for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism of 2017 provide a dependable architecture for the nation’s counter-terrorism efforts.

    “However, more recently in 2022, we adopted the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, which repeals the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011 as amended in 2013 and places prevention at the core of counter terrorism efforts.

    “An assessment of this critical piece of legislation was carried out by the Security Council’s CounterTerrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) during their most recent follow-up visit to Nigeria in October 2022.

    “Inter alia, the TPPA 2022 enables the establishment of two critical institutions, the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) and the Nigerian Sanctions Committee (NSC).,’’ he said.

    According to him, the centre, commissioned in March 2023, acts as a coordinating platform for Nigeria’s counter terrorism activities aimed at defeating terrorism in all forms.

    Likewise, he said the Nigerian Sanctions Committee (NSC) was set up as the national entity responsible for the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1373 on Targeted Financial Sanctions, as well as Resolutions 1267, 1988 and successor resolutions.

    “Given the growing threat and influence of Da’esh and Al Qaeda on terrorist groups operating within our region, strengthening the effectiveness of these institutions will remain a priority for Nigeria in our fight to eradicate Boko Haram and ISWAP.

    “The importance for states to truncate terrorists’ access to finances cannot be overemphasized. Terrorists continue to devise means of exploiting the illicit trade in precious minerals, natural resources, virtual assets, crypto currencies and kidnapping for ransom, to sustain their activities and carry out fresh attacks,” he said.

    The former NSA , however, advised  States to strengthen their various Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering Financing of Terrorism (CFT) frameworks in line with best practices, including the guidelines by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

    “In 2022, Nigeria adopted the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, which has strengthened national AML/CFT compliance.

    “Likewise, states must prioritise enhancing normative and institutional frameworks to prevent and deny terrorists’ illicit access to SALWs.,’’ he said.

    In addition, he said as a former president of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), Nigeria remains a consistent advocate for strengthening regulatory measures to curb illicit manufacturing, trafficking and diversion of SALWs.

    “The establishment of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) in 2021, as a policy guidance, research and monitoring centre, has strengthened Nigeria’s capabilities to respond efficiently to tracking and tracing requests.

    “The exploitation and misuse of the cyberspace and new technologies by terrorists remains a cause for concern especially in an age where artificial intelligence can be deployed to spew misinformation.

    “The use of social media to propagate hate speech and easily disseminate terrorist narratives, as well as their use of encrypted messages calls for increased collaboration between national authorities and platform operators to stem this threat,’’ the former NSA said.

  • REVEALED! Ribadu lobbies President Tinubu, ex-Govs for NSA appointment

    REVEALED! Ribadu lobbies President Tinubu, ex-Govs for NSA appointment

    Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, a former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is said to be in hot pursuit of the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and is said to be reaching out to many he had hitherto bitten.

    Impeccable sources revealed on Sunday that the former anti-corruption Czar now has his eyes on the powerful NSA office and is ready to appease anyone who might be a stumbling block to this project.

    It was gathered that one of those he is reaching out to is former Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, who is believed to be an associate of President Bola Tinubu, as they were contemporaries as Governors of Lagos and Delta States, respectively.

    A reliable source within the government circle, who is in the know of moves by the new administration to set proper templates and make appropriate appointments, said Ribadu is seriously in pursuit of his quest to be appointed as the next NSA to the President.

    According to the source, who spoke under conditions of anonymity, “what you said you heard is true, Ribadu is desperately running to get the office of the NSA, but I can’t tell you if he will get it.

    “Those reports and hush hush talks you said you read and heard, indeed, have some elements of truth in them. He’s making moves to get the President to consider him for the position and what you said you might have read in the media that he was considered ahead of Danbazau and Rafai is a kite his people are flying to test waters. Nothing definite yet”.

    There were reports published by some social media news platforms on Saturday, indicating that the former EFCC boss had been appointed to the position, but none quoted any official source.

    It was also gathered late Saturday night that, in a bid to make his dream come true, Ribadu has started reaching out to some key people, believed to be close to President Tinubu, including former governors, some of whom he had offended in the line of duty as the EFCC Chairman, including the former governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, whose political nightmare after office started with a graft investigation by the Ribadu-led EFCC and an eventual conviction by a London court, in the United Kingdom, has tainted.

    “Well, we learned he has been reaching out to those he thinks might be key to his appointment or otherwise, including those he believes might not be really happy with him because he the rough-patch they had in the past, like Ibori. It still remains to be seen if he will get lucky with his quest. But it is true he is making frantic efforts to get that office. Why it is so important to him, no one knows,” the source said.

    He was also said to have reached out to the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, who is believed to also have a depth of relationship with the President, to apologise for the humiliation meted to former Inspector-General of Police, the late Tafa Balogun.

    It would be recalled how former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on his 80th birthday in Lagos, relished the humiliation meted to Balogun by Ribadu before his eventual arrest and sentencing to prison.

    At the colourful night of reminiscences, one of the stories that the former president told was about the ignoble arrest of Balogun about twelve years back and how he was disgraced on the streets by agents of the EFCC, under Ribadu’s watch, after two independent security reports had indicted him of massive corruption, unbecoming of anyone in that position.

    Obasanjo said that a first report by the State Security Service (SSS) has alleged that the IGP’s hands were not clean.

    Obasanjo said that he was so alarmed that he called the police chief to the State House and warned him about the indicting reports about his activities and asked him to make amend. He however said that not surprisingly Balogun denied it, and continued in his ways.

    A few months later, another report, this time by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) not only detailed the alleged corrupt activity of the IGP but that it had continued unabated and without any form of care.

    He said “I called him and said Tafa, why do you have to destroy your name and career even though you will forever enjoy your privilege and salary as a former IGP for life?”.

    He also narrated how Ribadu threatened to arrest him at the State House. He said, “I told him that if he arrested him there, they will say it is Obasanjo who ordered his arrest.”

    According to him, on the particular day, Balogun was at the Aso Rock Villa to see him and the chairman of the EFCC, Ribadu, was around and was threatening to arrest the Inspector General of Police right there in the Villa, that was when he (Obasanjo) decided to ask for the IGP’s resignation, effective immediately.

    He said that while he asked the EFCC not to arrest him at the Villa, Ribadu threatened to arrest the man outside the gates of the presidential Villa.

    According to him, it was at the point he asked Balogun to immediately tender his resignation or be fired, saying “I had a hunch that Nuhu may leak the report to the press as he was close to them. I immediately called Balogun to give his letter of resignation. I told him if I didn’t get the letter in 30 minutes, I will dismiss him”.

  • NSA assures of adequate security ahead of May 29

    NSA assures of adequate security ahead of May 29

    The National Security Adviser(NSA), retired Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno has assured Nigerians of adequate security during the Presidential Inauguration ceremony.

    Monguno gave the assurance on Thursday in Abuja at a World Press Conference, organised to mark the commencement of activities for the May 29 presidential inauguration.

    The NSA, who heads the Security, Facilities and Intelligence Committee of the Presidential Transition Council (PTC), said necessary measures had been put in place to provide all-round security.

    He said security would be beefed up at the Eagle Square, venue of the May 29 presidential inauguration and its environs.

    Monguno also said there would be tight security in and around hotels to ensure safety of guests coming into the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from within and outside Nigeria.

    According to him, membership of the committee, which is drawn from various security agencies have been collaborating to ensure a seamless transition.

    “It is perhaps the most critical of all the committees by virtue of the nature of its own task.

    “That is why membership of the committee comprises of representatives or heads of agencies at the highest level.

    “The Chief of Defence Staff, the Inspector-General of Police, Director-General of the SSS.

    “The Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency(NIA) and the Governor of Kebbi State, who sits in as representative of the incoming government,”he said.

    Monguno further said, “our main function and primary concern is provision of both overt and covert security cover for all the venues where the programmes will take place.

    “As well as hotels in which invited guests and dignitaries will be staying for the period up to the inauguration and immediately after.”

    On restriction of movement, Monguno said there would be restriction of movement at a certain range around Eagle Square.

    He also said there would be traffic diversion and provision of alternative routes for motorists and pedestrians.

    While assuring Nigerians of a peaceful inauguration, he urged them to steer clear of anything that would threaten the peace of the nation.

    “The committee has concluded arrangement for accreditation and issuance of tags, passes and identity documents for all security agents.

    “If you have no business with security you need not be near the vicinity of the programme especially on the inauguration day.

    “We do not envisage anything that will be negative on that day, so, I urge everybody to be calm.

    “The people who use the social media, please understand this till our visitors, especially those who come from other countries disperse,” he said.

    Sub-committees like Transportation Sub-Committee, Venue, Parade and Swearing-in Sub-Committee, Media and Publicity Sub-Committee also assured of adequate preparation.

    Also, the Medical Sub-Committee, said adequate arrangement had been made for over 100 medical doctors, nurses and other medical personnel to be on ground within the period.