The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Service Chiefs, and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) yesterday appeared before the House of Representatives to brief members on their activities and efforts aimed at combating the rising security challenge in the country.
The Green Chamber had on Thursday, re-invited the security chiefs to appear before it yesterday, after they failed to honour the first invitation while sending representatives.
Speaking at the commencement of the briefing tagged sectoral debate, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Chris Musa, said they were not able to honour the initial invitation because they were out of Abuja.
“We were out of Abuja and felt that since an invitation had been extended, our Chief of Operations should attend. It was not deliberate and we apologised for that, and thank you for the opportunity for us to interact with you,” he said.
Musa also said the activities of Finland-based factional leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Simon Ekpa, were doing a lot of damage to the South-East region of the country.
Gen. Musa, who alleged that Ekpa was being protected by Finland, said there was a need for the government to engage the government of Finland and possibly invite its ambassador to Nigeria.
He said while the military and other security agencies in the country were doing their very best to ensure that there is peace in the South-East, the comments and activities of Ekpa are sabotaging such efforts.
He also disclosed that at the moment, about 140,000 terrorists have surrendered and are awaiting disarmament, while adding that there is no single territory currently being occupied by Boko Haram insurgents.
Those present at the briefing, apart from the CDS, include the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja; Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice-Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla; Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun.
