NATIONAL COUNCIL OF STATE

The National Council of State in Nigeria has asked security agents to ‘add more venom’ to the fight against terrorism, stressing the need to end the attacks by the Boko Haram terrorist group on villages and towns in the north-east.

The call was made by the National Council of State members on Tuesday after they were briefed of the security efforts of the agencies to end the over five year’s terrorism that has claimed thousands of lives in the north-east.

The Council of State meeting was held at the Presidential Villa and it was presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan.

In attendance were four former Heads of State – Generel Yakubu Gowon, Mr Shehu Shagari, Mr Ernest  Shonekan and Mr Olusegun Obasanjo.

After a briefing by the National Security Adviser, the Council of State members observed that the government was doing everything possible to ensure that the schoolgirls abducted from their school’s dormitory by members of the Boko Haram sect in April were released safe and sound.

The governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio expressed the Federal Government’s commitment to securing the release of the girls.

It stressed the need for the security agents to add more venom to the fight against the Boko Haram sect that had continued to attack villages and towns in the north-east days after the Nigerian government said it had reached a ceasefire agreement with the Islamic sect.

Less than 24 hours after the ceasefire agreement was announced, the terrorist group attacked two towns in Borno. The leader of the group in a video released on Friday denied any ceasefire agreement, emphasizing that the girls abducted from the school had been married off.  

The National Council of State is the highest policy making body in Nigeria and all past leaders are expected to attend the council meeting.

At the last count at the meeting venue, only four of them were in attendance.

The meeting was also briefed on Nigeria’s Ebola-free status by Governor Akpabio.

The council also reviewed the report by a committee set up to investigate reports of discriminations against persons that were infected but now free of the virus across the states and mandated the committee to beef up the recommendations of sanctions against anyone that is working against the unity of the country in any guise.

Courtesy: Channels Television