Worried by the raging decade-old Boko Haram insurgency, some stakeholders in the North East region have supported the call by Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, who had asked the Nigerian government to seek assistance of Chadian soldiers so as to further take the battle to the recalcitrant terrorists who have killed thousands and displaced millions of the region’s locals.
Zulum had on Wednesday expressed worries that the Nigerian military are becoming overwhelmed, saying, the country’s collaboration with the Chadian Republic military would help to subjugate the terrorists in his state and other parts of the North East.
It appears the call by the Governor has resonated with the North East Elders, who noted that the Chadian soldiers had recorded remarkable feat in their quest to fizzle out the insurgents’ threats in their country, appealing to President Muhammadu Buhari to heed to the call of the Borno State governor by approving assistance of the Chadian soldiers for further prosecution of the ongoing war against terrorism.
The statement accused those opposing the assistance of the Chadian soldiers as sponsors of terrorism in the country, asking the President to ignore them.
Elders drawn from the region, said they trusted the Nigerian soldiers in their ability to prosecute the war but lacked the needed leadership to achieve it.
In the statement signed on Friday, by Chairman of the group Engr. Zana Goni and Secretary, Dr Mohammed Misua, the North East Elders insisted that until the leadership of the Nigerian Armed Forces is rejigged, nothing meaningful can be achieved anymore in the ongoing war against insecurity in the country.
The group tasked President Buhari to respect the position of majority of Nigerians who it noted, were of the firm believe that it was time for a change in the country’s security architecture.
“We wish to remind Mr. President that Nigerians voted for him and he needs to listen to them urgently on security issues which we know that the service chiefs are 70% of the problem,” the group said.
Zulum had within a month narrowly escaped three different attacks on his convoy by Boko Haram insurgents.
The last which was on Sunday led to the death of four soldiers, 10 policemen and four civilians. Scores were also injured.
After the attack, the governor told a visiting delegation of the NGF in Maiduguri, that with the way things are, the Nigerian Army required the assistance of others to reverse the insecurity in the Northeast and other parts of the country.
