In a closed-door meeting which took place at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday, the Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari, met with Nigeria’s service chiefs.
Those in attendance were the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin; Chief of Army Staff, Lt. – Gen Tukur Buratai; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadique Abubakar; the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas.
Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mohammed Adamu, also attended the meeting believed to centre on security challenges.
But the National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno, was absent.
Buhari and the service chiefs hold routine security meetings weekly but that of today is tagged ‘special consultation’.
Pressure had been mounted on Buhari lately to fire the service chiefs amid escalating security challenges in the country.
The National Assembly too had called for the sacking of the security chiefs.
However, the President had yet to heed the calls, saying his regime would not take any hasty actions against the officers, who manned the country’s security operations since 2015.