SAN FRANCISCO, February 24, (THEWILL) – National Security Adviser, NSA, Major-General Mohammed Babagana Monguno(ret.) has been asked to steer clear of the presidential villa and will not be attending security briefings and the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) Meetings, which is usually presided over by the President or Vice President.
THEWILL gathered from a top source privy to the development that the directive was given by the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr. Abba Kyari.
Monguno did not attend a special security meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and the service chiefs, which held behind closed-doors at the presidential villa on Monday.
THEWILL also gathered exclusively that Monguno did not attend last week’s FEC meeting presided by President Buhari because of the directive.
General Monguno has repeatedly clashed with Mr. Kyari over control of security and intelligence matters.
Last week the cold war between both top officials became public after two restricted memos written by the NSA to service chiefs and the President accusing Kyari of interference in security matters and issuing orders in variance to the president’s leaked to the press.
THEWILL has also reliably gathered that all security branches – Army, Police, Air Force, DSS, and Navy have all withdrawn their officers serving at the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), in solidarity with Kyari.
THEWILL further gathered from our source, who asked to remain anonymous that the move has tremendously degraded operations at the NSA and rendered the office irrelevant in the scheme of things.
ALSO READ: Monguno, Abba Kyari Cold War Threatens Battle Against Terrorists, Kidnappers
The source further confirmed that Kyari, a lawyer by training and a former Managing Director of UBA Plc., alongside the very influential Mamman Daura (Buhari’s cousin) and businessman Mallam Isa Funtua, who all make up The Cabal, Buhari’s powerful kitchen cabinet, have chosen a replacement for Monguno.
Present at Monday’s security briefing were Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin, Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadique Abubakar, Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas and the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu.
After the closed-door meeting with President Buhari, the Service Chiefs moved to see Kyari in his office for another briefing.
THEWILL reports that the insecurity in the country is threatening the daily lives of Nigerians and government has not done enough to assure people that it has the capacity to halt the unending attacks by the Boko Haram, bandits and criminal gangs.
About the Author
