Security Council Declares NATFORCE Illegal

The National Security Council meeting has declared National Taskforce on Prohibition of Illegal, Importation/Smuggling of Arms, Ammunition, Light Weapons, Chemical Weapons, and Pipeline Vandalism (NATFORCE) illegal.

The minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola disclosed this to State House correspondents after a meeting of the council presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa.

He advised the NATFORCE leadership to disband itself with immediate effect or risk being disbanded forcefully by security agencies.

“The Council has just concluded today’s meeting. It received briefings from all security chiefs and the Council is very satisfied with the performances of all our security chiefs; the military, the police and other security agencies. We are happy with their performance and the gains recorded so far.

“We are moving to the phase of consolidation of all those gains, such that by December, as ordered by the Chairman of the Council, the President, which he has said to all Nigerians before now, that we’ll put, essentially, most of the challenges of banditry particularly, insurgency, kidnapping for ransom, criminalities of that nature, far behind us.

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“We are equally pleased with the performance of the Nigeria Police on the elections in Anambra, Ekiti, and Osun, which elections have demonstrated our commitment to democracy and expression of the will of the people at the polls.

“Equally of concern is the presence of some illegal outfits that impersonate the legitimate security agencies. Of particular concern is a body called the National Task Force on Illegal Importation of Goods, Small Arms and what have you, but the short name for it is NATFORCE.

“The Council declares that body an illegal organization, it should just simply disband itself because the Council has ordered all security agencies to enforce the disbandment of that body and other such bodies that operate illegally without any force of law,” he said.

The Senate had in July passed into law the Bill establishing the Commission, while the House of Representatives is expected to pass its version upon resumption in September 2022.

According to him, the council has expressed satisfaction with the performance of security agencies in the fight against insecurity, and the administration hopes to end security challenges by December this year.

He also assured that all kidnap victims still in captivity will be released soon and their captors will face the wrath of the law.

Aregbesola also said investigation into the Kuje correctional facility attack by gunmen is still work in progress.

He said the council received reports from all service chiefs and the Inspector General of Police said the council chaired by President Buhari is “very satisfied” with the performance of all security agencies and that the country is moving to the phase of consolidation.

He said the council also commended the police for their performance during the Anambra, Ekiti, and Osun governorship elections.

Meanwhile, the minister of Police Affairs, Dingiyadi has assured that there are other negotiators involved in the negotiations with kidnappers of Abuja -Kaduna train abduction, insisting that Tukur Mamu’s arrest will not stop negotiations.