In a statement released on Monday, September 21, by its Chairman of CNEEPD, Zana Goni, the elders said the excuses the service chiefs have tendered over the years for the alarming level of insecurity were no longer tenable.

The statement read “The worsening security situation in the country is further reinforcing the urgent need to inject new hands with fresh ideas to han­dle the nation’s security archi­tecture. We have seen that the security situation under the current service chiefs has reached an unbearable state. There is no denying the fact that at this moment, the entire nation is distressed by the incessant mind­less killing of our citizens and pillaging of defenceless com­munities by insurgents, ban­dits and kidnappers. There is no denying the fact also that these have resulted in indescribable agony, anguish and torment to the Nigerian citizens. And following these mentioned above, we, the Coalition of North East Elders for Peace and Development, in the strongest terms, restate the call to Pres­ident Muhammadu Buhari to honour the resolution of the National Assembly and positions of the majority of Nigerians to im­mediately remove the service chiefs and bring in new hands to effectively confront the secu­rity challenges staring us in our face as a nation.”