24th June, 2011
The Assistant Director, Public Relations of the State Security Service SSS, this morning said that a carrot and stick approach could be applied on both the sponsors and foot soldiers wreaking havoc in some states in the northern part of the country under the guise of being members of the Boko Haram sect.
Speaking on Africa Independent Television, AIT, during its Focus Nigeria programme, the director, Marylin Ogah said that the SSS is very much aware of those behind the series of violence and bomb blasts that rocked parts of the north in recent times.
She however assured that contrary to media reports, which tend to give the impression that all the security agencies are not doing enough to stop the violence and bomb blasts, the SSS in particular has covered much ground in the efforts to make Nigeria violence free.
“But, let me say at this point in time that the carrot and stick transformational agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan will be strictly applied by the service on both the sponsors and foot soldiers in the Boko Haram saga,” she said.
By this agenda, SSS could explore peaceful means of solving once and for all the violence and bomb blasts in the north, using traditional rulers, governors, religious leaders and opinion leaders in the region.
But, if these peaceful means fail, SSS could have no other alternative than to apply the big stick and deal with the situation promptly, pointing out that Nigeria belongs to all Nigerians and no dissident group could hide under the guise of the many challenges the country is presently passing through to foment trouble.