Senate to screen service chiefs behind closed doors today

The Senate committees responsible for the oversight of the Nigerian military forces will start the screening of the newly appointed service chiefs on Tuesday (today) .

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Navy, Senator Thompson Sekibo, confirmed this in a chat with The PUNCH’s correspondent on Monday evening.

He, however, said the service chiefs would be screened behind closed doors.

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, had on Wednesday, referred the request of President, Muhammadu Buhari for the confirmation of the new service chiefs to the joint committees on Army, Navy and Air Force for necessary screening.

Lawan gave the committees two weeks to carry out their assignment and report to the Senate in plenary.

The appointees for confirmation are Maj. Gen. Lucky lrabor as Chief of Defence Staff; Maj . Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru ( Chief of Army Staff); Rear Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo , ( Chief of Naval Staff); and Air Vice Marshal Isiaka O . Amao as Chief of Air staff.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Army , Senator Ali Ndume , had told out correspondent last week that it was not advisable to screen service chiefs in the open .

He had said, “If you do , it means you will be compromising the security of the country especially if there are issues that bother on national security.