Back from Dubai, President Buhari receives security briefing; Gov. Shettima meets Defence chiefs over Boko Haram, relocation Jakana residents 

By Abdullahi Isah,, Maiduguri

Back from his official visits to Jordan and Dubai, President Muhammadu Buhari has been brifed on the security situation in parts of the country, especially the North West states of Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto where bandits have been terrorizing communities and the North East states of Adamawa and Yobe where Boko Haram is still posing threats to people.

The President received the Security Briefing in the State House on Thursday, April 11, 2019, following which he is said to have directed the security agencies to deal ruthlessly with the bandits that have been kidnapping, killing and generally terrorizing and making life unbearable in the affected North West zone states as well as Boko Haram which is still a major nuisance in the North East.

There were protests in Abuja over the security situation, especially in Zamfara state, which led to the suspension of all mining activities in the state.

Also in reaction to serious security challenges in Borno state, the state Governor, Hon. Kashim Shettima alongside some National Assembly members from the state on Wednesday  ‎held closed door meetings with the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai and Director General of State Security Services, Yusuf Magaji Bichi.

The meetings included discussions on the relocation of the residents of Jakana village (a town in Konduga local government area) to an Internally Displaced Peoples (IDP) camp in Maiduguri, which the military in Borno State said was for operational purposes in the ongoing fight against Boko Haram. Apart from being in advancement of the ongoing counter insurgency operations, the relocation is also believed to be in line with the Governor’s quest to have a lasting peace in Borno.

The three meetings were at the instance of Gov. Shettima.  A statement signed and emailed to Journalists in Maiduguri by the Governor’s spokesman, Mallam Isa Gusau, said that “Shettima was accompanied by chairmen of the Senate and House of Representatives committees on Defence, Senator Abubakar Kyari and Hon. Betara Aliyu respectively, the chairman, Senate committee on Rules and Business, Senator Baba Kaka Bashir Garbai and two House of Representatives members elect.”

The Governor and his delegation’s first port of call, he said, was the DG, SSS’ office at the Service’ headquarters at about 1:30pm ‎before meeting the Defence Minister at a private residence at about 4pm after which the delegation was at the Army headquarters at 5pm for another meeting with the Chief of Army Staff for more than one hour. All the meetings, Gusau stressed, held behind closed doors in Abuja.

Briefing journalists thereafter, according to the statement, Governor Kashim Shettima said the meetings were informed by the issues arising from the relocation of communities in Jakana, Auno and Mainok located in Kaga and Konduga local government areas of Borno State. He said at the end of the meetings, the Borno State Government and the Nigerian military had reached a common ground.

The Governor said “We have accomplished our mission. The Chief of Army Staff has granted our request and some concerns raised by the Army will all be addressed. We all know that the relocation had raised dust but we felt consultation was the best approach. We have access to all the security heads, especially the Chief of Army Staff here who is from Borno. We have met with the Minister of Defence as you have seen. We have all come to a consensus. We also have assurances on other matters relating to the military’s ongoing fight ‎against Boko Haram and we must acknowledge that the military has recorded huge successes not withstanding some setbacks.

“As I have always said, anyone that wants to appreciate the efforts on ground should compare with the past. We have seen the difference. We will continue to cooperate with and support the military. We will also remain grateful and proud of them,” Shettima said.

The statement further stressed that the Defence Minister, Mansur Dan-Ali commended Governor Shettima for his leadership style and the cooperation he has consistently accorded to the federal government in the fight against Boko Haram. He noted that the federal government has recently adopted new strategies in terms of involving multi-national forces from Chad and other neighboring countries who currently operate in Borno. The Minister said new strategies adopted were already producing results.