Nigerians must look beyond the military and the security agencies for enduring solutions to insecurity – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has urged Nigerians to support security agencies to tackle the challenges facing the country noting that Nigerians must look beyond the military and the security agencies for enduring solutions to the security challenges.

In an address at the opening ceremony of the Alumni Association of the National Defence College, the President extolled the courage and bravery being displayed by security agencies and service chiefs in promoting peace and order.

He said the administration had put in place measures to adequately support the Armed Forces of and other security agencies in terms of modern equipment, boosting the manpower of all security agencies and financing their operations in Nigeria and other international assignments.

President Buhari assured Nigerians that the issue of kidnapping that had bedevilled the country in the recent past was being tackled with all seriousness while noting that he had directed that all cases relating to security breaches, economic sabotage and wanton destruction of lives and property across the entire nation be immediately addressed.

He called for the development of the youth to effectively succeed the older generation, emphasising that Nigerians harness the strength in their diversity to ensure a cohesive and forward-looking nation, which he noted the Alumni Association of the National Defence College had brought forth.

Minister of Defence, Major-General Bashir Salihi Magashi (retd) said Nigerians had put up resilience in the face of challenges, adding that security outfits should also be aware of the rights of citizens.

The President of the association, Air Commodore Darlington Abdullahi said there was a need to change the narrative of the country, adding that Nigerians had made indelible marks in their various fields of endeavour and greatly impacted the global economy.

Mr Abdullahi said the efforts at re-orientation must be deliberate, starting from schools and other public institutions, and should be sustained, with a focus on values that bring honour and respect for national symbols, diligence, honesty and integrity.