Northern elders group calls for national security adviser to be sacked over attack on NDA

PAN-cultural group the Coalition of Northern Elders for Peace and Development (CNEPD) has called for the immediate sacking of national security adviser Retired Major General Babagana Monguno following the recent attack on the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).

In an unprecedented development, yesterday, armed gunmen attacked the NDA headquarters in Kaduna, killing two officers on the spot and then abducting another, who was later found murdered. Saying that this has taken Nigeria's insecurity to a new low, the CNEPD also asked for an in-depth review of the entire security architecture of the country, saying all security chiefs must bear the blame.

CNEPD national coordinator, Zana Goni, blamed President Muhammadu Buhari for leaving General Monguno in office when he replaced his service chiefs earlier this year. He added that it was time for the president to do away with General Monguno following the worsening insecurity in the country as it shoes he was not on top of his game.

Mr Goni said: “We find it once more expedient to comment on the worsening security situation in the country, especially the latest attack on a military formation, the Nigerian Defence Academy, which is the institution where future military leaders are trained. We woke up to the sad news of the attack on the NDA, leaving two officers killed and another abducted by bandits with heavy hearts.

"If it was not the confirmation of this unbelievable action by the academy’s spokesperson, Bashir Jajira, we would have still been in doubt. The fact that a fortified military institution could be so easily invaded by armed militias without resistance has left us with the conclusion that no part of this country and no citizen, no matter his or status is safe again.

“Without mincing words, we wish to attribute this ugly development to intelligence failure and gaps in the capacity of our armed forces. We wish to strongly say here that the attack is a slap on the Nigeria intelligence community and the armed forces.

“The retention of the national security adviser, General Babagana Monguno at the time the president listened to the voice of reason and replaced service chiefs, may be contributing to the continuous deteriorating security situation in the country. Given the situation, we wish to humbly and respectively appeal to our dear President Muhammadu Buhari, to as a matter of urgent national importance, replace the national security adviser, whose tenure since his assumption of office, has been characterised by heightened Boko Haram activities, banditry, kidnapping for ransom and other heinous crimes without end in sight.

"We reinstate unequivocally that Monguno has failed to provide useful advice to address the scourging insecurity in the country and therefore does not deserve continuous stay in office. It is important that the national security adviser be replaced and the security architecture of the nation reviewed so that the process of injecting fresh blood can be completed.

‘We believe that the service chiefs need a clean slate to succeed as to avoid being tied to the springs of the past fatal failures. This call is both patriotic and totally apolitical as expected from a responsible group of elders in our dear region."