The Nigerian Senate has cancelled the planned interface and proposed security briefing of the Senate by security chiefs owing to the absence of the National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu and the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, despite the Chiefs of Army Staff, Air Force, Navy; and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) honouring the invitation.
The Senate had last week, summoned security chiefs and the NSA, to brief lawmakers on plans to tame the growing insecurity in the country, especially in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
Mr Ribadu had in a letter, told the Senate he had other engagements and could therefore not be present for the briefing.
The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, said that the upper legislative chamber would step down the briefing and expand the scope to accommodate more key government officials to join the long list of those expected.
Akpabio, who presided during plenary, bemoaned the level of insecurity in the country and vowed that a solution must be found by thesecurityity chiefs when they appear next Tuesday.
Listing volatileatreas in the FCT, Akpabio declared that the nation’s capital is under serious threats from kidnappers and other criminal elements.
Akpabio said:” Our job is to complement the Executive and support it to succeed. If the Tinubu administration fails, it means we have all failed.
“The Senate is of the view that the FCT is under threat in addition to other parts of the country. In regards to the absent security chiefs, it is the view of the Senate that this security briefing is now adjourned to 13 February.”
The security briefing was therefore moved to next Tuesday at about 11 am.
Those now expected during the briefing are the NSA; the Chiefs of Defence Staff, Army, Navy and Air Force; Minister of Defence and Minister of State Defence; Minister of Interior; Director-General of the DSS; Minister of Police Affairs and Minister of State; Minister of Finance; and Director-General of National Intelligence Agency.