The National Security Adviser (NSA), retired Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno, told State House correspondents that the president gave the order during the just concluded meeting of the National Security Council.
The meeting was presided by Buhari at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday.
According to him, no sovereign nation will allow a group of non-state actors to bring it down to its knees and render the state in state of panic, apprehension, mistrust and disorder.
“Therefore, both the defence and intelligence organisations have been charged that while we look forward to having a peaceful, non-kinetic
resolution, we will not allow this country to drift into state failure.
“And with effect from today, the new service chiefs have been given directives by the Minister of Defence, conveyed by the President to the
Minister of Defence, to reclaim all areas that have been dominated by bandits, by kidnappers and other scoundrels of scallywags.
“In doing so, I’ve also asked all the intelligence agencies to collapse all their efforts onto one platform, so that with the convergence of
efforts, we will be able to give the required intelligence to the operational elements of government.
“Now, I need to stress also that there are individuals in this country who have assumed a status that is beyond what they should be. The
intelligence from our own sources, the intelligence at my disposal and the disposal of the other intelligence hence, reveals that we have
certain entities, certain individuals who are making capital out of insecurity, especially kidnapping.