The National Security Adviser, Gen. Andrew Azazi (retd.), has taken over the investigation into Tuesday’s discovery of 13 containers at the Apapa Wharf in Lagos.



He has also barred security agents from speaking to journalists on the issue. THE PUNCH learnt that the directive from the NSA was handed down to the security agencies on Thursday at a meeting he had with the heads of the different agencies in Abuja.



The NSA met with the heads of security agencies in Abuja shortly after he returned from Lagos where he had gone to inspect the contents of the containers.



Apart from Azazi, others at the meeting included the Chief of Defence Staff, Inspector-General of Police, Director-General of the State Security Service and service chiefs.



Our correspondent gathered that the NSA told the security chiefs that he had decided to take over the co-ordination of security on the matter in order to avoid giving “discordant tunes and information to the public on the matter.”



He was said to have told the security chiefs that he would not want the outfit to be speaking as if they were competing with one another.



The directive, according to the source, was as a result of the rancour that followed the statement credited to President Goodluck Jonathan, which allegedly exonerated members of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta over the October 1 bomb blasts that led to the death of over 12 persons in Abuja.



According to the source, “We have received instructions that we should not speak on the matter for now.



“The NSA met with all the security chiefs in Abuja on Thursday where he handed down the directive. For now, it is his office that is handling the matter.”



Before now, the State Security Service had claimed that two persons were already in its custody over the importation of the arms.



The spokesperson for the SSS, Mrs. Marylin Ogar, who confirmed the arrest, said investigations were ongoing to unravel those behind the importation.



Meanwhile, in order to get to the root of the claim that the arms were meant for the Middle East, our correspondent gathered that the office of the NSA was already planning to get in touch with either the Israeli or Palestine governments.


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