After an emergency security meeting in Abuja on tuesday, the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh, told reporters that Niger and Chad had withdrawn their troops from Baga, a situation that apparently led to the takeover of the town that had been in contention.
The meeting was held to assess the security situation in the country especially in the north-east.
The Air Chief, however, said that the countries had not pulled out of the multinational Joint Task Force contingent fighting the terrorist group in the north-east.
He assured Nigerians that the military would overcome the insurgents at all cost.
“I wish it could be closed. But how do you close such a large border? And it is not for military to close border anyway,” he said, emphasising that more collaboration with the security agencies of the border nations should be explored rather than border closure.
The army chief may have given needed explanations about the border issues, but many Nigerians want to know how safe it is to conduct elections in the north-east.
Talks on the possibility of conducting elections in the north-east states that have witnessed more of the terrorists’ attacks topped discussions at the meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan.
Also addressing reporters after the security meeting, the Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, said that the 2015 general elections must hold in the north eastern part of Nigeria despite the security threats on the people.
He said that elections have taken place in countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and so many other places where there is terrorism but that the important issue is how to safeguard the lives and property of the people of those areas and recover the lost territories and the abducted Chibok girls.
He cried out that several territories like Bama, were now under the territory of the Boko Haram but that with a robust plan by the military the war against insurgency would be worn.
At the risk of giving publicity to the Boko Haram leader, Shekau, who he described as a lunatic, the Borno State Governor said that the military has been rising to the challenges.
The terrorist group had in April abducted some over 200 schoolgirls from a Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State.
They are still in the custody of the Boko haram sect, but Governor Shettima stressed that no matter what the odds were the Chibok girls would be returned.
He had last year decried the poor motivation of the Nigerian military in the fight against Boko Haram, insisting that the military lacked what was required to fight the Boko Haram sect.
Also addressing reporters, Governor Ibrahim Geidam of Yobe State, which is another state in the eye of the storm, called for deployment of more troops.
The meeting, which had the participants brainstorm for over two hours, was said to be a fruitful one, with a rich cross-pollination of ideas many Nigerians hope will indeed bring a lasting solution to insurgency bedevilling the nation.
It is barely a month before the commencement of the general elections in Nigeria and with the palpable insecurity in the north east, many Nigerians would want to know what the Federal Government is doing to secure lives and property in the region.
Those also in attendance at the meeting were the Attorney-General of the Federation, Governors of Adamawa, Yobe and Kaduna States.
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Its like our security forces don't have shame anymore. U can imagine boldly confirming dat a town is been taken over by boko haram. If dem dey hide now we go say dem dey hide. Koro koro daylight dem go dey runtown 4 una eye una bo go fit fight. Na God g save us 4 dis Naija. Who still wan vote 4 N/east. Goodluck o. Hmmm! Uwaifo don talk e own o"
ReplyDeleteToo bad...the army chiefs should just save us d headache n resign...and I hope after d meeting they will b able to come up with an everlasting solutions to this BH security threat ,if not the next month elections should be postpone to avoid more innocent blood oh
ReplyDeleteWhat do you call a country that doesn't see to the needs of her people 1st?...insurgencies every and yet they are busy on campaigns,spending money that can be used to help the millitary....too bad
ReplyDeleteWell we are not d only once involve...even in syria,iraq,afghan etc all held election...let me just believed army chief don't really want to disclose to d public what they are planning sha
DeleteHe we not disclose it and as they plan God we never allow them
DeleteHmmmm.. We have been hearing how d Government said they are going to end this insurgency, till now still d same topic from different leaders...
ReplyDeleteOh Lord save ur children and nation Nigeria
We have wick soldiers they are not capable of handleing this Boko haram so let this go rest
ReplyDeleteMr bada sound so incompetent on his speech with channels Tv reporter..
ReplyDeleteImaging how comfy the guy is while making this embarrassing statement.....na wa ooo,our military dey fall my hand big time
ReplyDeleteAtleast they have come out openly to certify that boko haram is winning the war
ReplyDeleteThis is ridiculous, so ds stupid man has no shame,even d governor, ur problem is conducting election in d state were terrorist re virtually taken over, but who wI'l vote, it's getting to one yr,d chibok girls re still in d mercy of ds shekau, I pray if d girls has not been defiled
ReplyDeleteThis is not only bad, but it shameful. How can the security chiefs just come out shamelessly to tell us this. Isn't it a shameful thing that some riff-raff can just run over a town and the military can't do anything.
ReplyDeleteThis goes. To show how unconcern the governmnet can be about the plight of it citizens.
Sometimes, one is left to belief that the government knows everything or are collaborators, otherwise this shouldnk( be happening!
D govt shud do smetyn bout dis insurgency ,cos dis ppl re nw feeling lyk gods nd re beginning to create dia own community as dey tk ova places
ReplyDelete