Jonathan, Governors And Security Chefs Hold Enlarged Security Council Meeting

President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday held a closed-door enlarged meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) with the state governors, security chiefs and spiritual leaders.

The session kicked off at 12.10pm at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa in Abuja and finished at about 7pm.

The meeting was declared open by prayer sessions led by President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, and Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar.

Also in attendance were the ministers, state governors, heads of security agencies and para-military organizations, and spiritual leaders (see the full list below).

Participants were expected to discuss the growing insecurity in Nigeria and decide on the extension of emergency rule in three northern states.

The emergency rule had been declared in May last year and extended in November for six month as part of government efforts to put an end to the violent activities of Boko Haram insurgents.

The meeting followed two horrible incidents, namely the abduction of 234 school girls in Chinok, Borno State, and a deadly bomb blast in Nyanya bus park in Abuja.

Initially the meeting had been scheduled for tomorrow but was postponed till today for unknown reason.

Last Thursday Jonathan held a similar meeting with 16 governors, but the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) were not in attendance as they were reportedly told that the meeting had been cancelled. 

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The enlarged NSC meeting had in attendance the following ministers, security chiefs, spiritual leaders, and governors:

Ministers: Abba Moro, Interior; Gen. Aliyu Gusau, Defence; Abduljelil Adesiyan, Police Affairs; Viola Onwuleri, Foreign Affairs; Akinwunmi Adeshina, Agriculture; and the Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke.

Security chiefs: the Chiefs of Army, Navy and Airforce, as well as the Inspector General of Police, the Comptrollers General of Customs and Immigration, Corp Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps and the Commandant General of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp.

Spiritual leaders: President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor; the President of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and Sultan of Sokoto Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar.

Governors:

Willie Obiano (Anambra)

Theodore Orji (Abia)

Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara)

Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa)

Gabriel Suswam (Benue)

Martins Elechi (Ebonyi)

Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara)

Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta)

Murtala Nyako (Adamawa)

Kashim Shettima (Borno)

Aliyu Wamako (Sokoto)

Ramalan Yero (Kaduna)

Garba Umar (Taraba)

Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti)

Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa)

Seidu Dakingari (Kebbi)

Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom)

Babangida Aliyu (Niger)

Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo)

Lyel Imoke (Cross River)

Isa Yuguda (Bauchi)

Ibrahim Shema (Katsina)

Ibrahim Dankwanbo(Gombe)

Sullivan Chime (Enugu)

The governors of Rivers, Jigawa, Lagos, Edo, and Ogun were represented by their deputies, while Lagos State had no representative at the time of reporting.

Source: Legit.ng