Boko Haram Tops Buhari’s Discussion With Security Chiefs

THE strategy with which to deal with the rampaging Boko Haram insurgents in the North East geopolitical zone of Nigeria dominated the Tuesday June 2, 2015 meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and the nation’s Service Chiefs.
It would be recalled that Buhari met with the Service Chiefs and the Inspector General of Police on Tuesday during which they discussed the security situation across the country, especially how to deal with the rising wave of attacks by the Boko Haram insurgents.
The sect has been carrying out land and bomb attacks in the area, especially in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, since Buhari took over the reins of governance on Friday May 29, 2015.
The Security Chiefs who attended the meeting with Buhari were the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh; Chief of Army Staff, Kenneth Minimum; Chief of Naval Staff, Usman Jubrin; Chief of Air Staff, Adesola Amosun; Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase; and National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.
As a fall out of the meeting, the Nigeria’s military top brass have started the process of relocating the anti-terror war command centre to the Borno State capital.
Briefing newsmen after the meeting at the Defence House, Abuja, Chief of Naval Staff, Usman Jubrin, said he and his colleagues briefed the President on the general security situation in the country, especially on strategies to maintain the tempo of successes in the war against the Boko Haram terrorists until they are routed.
He stressed that the presidential order on the Command Centre was one that would not be ignored, but also tasked Nigerians to cooperate with the security agencies by giving them useful tips that could aid intelligence gathering.
His words: “On the command centre, we are the ones to go back and work on it. Soon it will be carried out, it is a Presidential directive, it must be carried out, and we must do that as quickly as possible.
“All Nigerians should continue to support the military and provide us with the needed intelligence, as to the human beings, their movements and suspicious movement should be reported to the police. Of course, the police will make that available to us.
“You know as we continue to put pressure on them in the Sambisa area, they will try to run away from there and then create further problems, using improvised explosives devices.”
Reminded that the terrorists were becoming more daring with daily attacks and bombings in Maiduguri, the Navy Chief maintained that successes were being recorded against the insurgents.
Against the speculations that Buhari may relieve the Service Chiefs of their appointment, Tuesday’s meeting proved otherwise.
This, observers stressed, may also be Buhari’s break from normal tradition where incoming Presidents immediately replaces Service Chiefs with own appointees.