In what took many by surprise, President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday paid an unscheduled visit to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital and the hotbed of the Boko Haram insurgency.
President Jonathan, in a near cover operation, left for Maiduguri shortly after the ceremony marking the Armed Forces Remembrance day held in Abuja.
It is the president’s first visit to Maiduguri in almost two years, as he visited last in March 2013.
Plans to visit last May in the wake of the kidnap of the Chibok girls were cancelled, as the presidency denied ever planning to visit the state.
The failure of the president to visit Chibok or even Borno State since the insurgents scaled up their number and frequency of attacks had drawn so much flak from many Nigerians.
President Jonathan in company with the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Marshal Alex Badeh; the National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd); other service chiefs; the Director General of the National Emergency Agency (NEMA), Mr Sani Sidi; and a team of 200 soldiers, were received at the Maiduguri International Airport by the Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Kashim Shettima.
The president, who addressed soldiers at the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maimalari Cantonment in Maiduguri, was full of commendation for the troops, as he praised their gallantry and courage as shown in “loyalty and dedication” in the defence of the country.
He assured them of increased supply of the needed weaponry in order to overcome the terrorists.
“In terms of equipment and logistics, we have already made considerable progress since the insurgency started and we will continue to improve in that regard until your operations are successfully concluded,” he said.
“What you’re doing is not easy. We thank you as a nation. Terrorism is a global phenomenon. We’re working day and night, trying to curtail this madness.
“We will assist you to succeed in your effort. We will give you what is due to you. Government will make sure you get it. We appreciate your dutiful service, loyalty and commitment,” he added.
He assured the nation that the Boko Haram insurgency would soon be over going by the briefings from military authorities, insisting that the military would retake areas captured by the Boko Haram sect.
He said briefings from the service chiefs showed that the 10 local government areas in Boko Haram’s control would soon be recaptured by the Nigerian military.
“Let me assure you that we will soon take over all the areas. From the briefing I have received from the service chiefs, I assure you that we will take over the towns and communities,” the president said.
Jonathan, who also visited over 900 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in their camp at the Teachers’ Village, told the IDPs that they would soon go back to their various communities, just as he promised to make the camps a lot more comfortable for them.
“Terrorism and insurgency have been very traumatic for all of us. I feel particularly disturbed when I hear of our people being displaced within their own country.
“I know that many of your houses have been destroyed. We will assist you financially so that you can rebuild your homes and return to them gradually,” the president told the displaced persons.
He further thanked the Red Cross and other international agencies for the assistance they are rendering to the displaced persons.
Earlier, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah, said the president was at the military base to interact with men and officers in the operation. He said it was significant being the day set aside for remembering the fallen heroes (Armed Forces Remembrance Day).
Meanwhile, armed soldiers ensured that residents of Maiduguri and vehicles were forced off the roads for the duration of the president’s visit to the town yesterday.
The soldiers made sure all vehicles coming from roads leading to the major roads in the town were turned back from about 3pm until the president departed the town around 6pm.
Indication that something unusual was about to happen was noticed earlier in the morning as vehicles were made to follow just a lane in the two-lane road stretch, which caused great discomfort as students arrived their schools late.
When parents went back to pick them up, they could only get to the schools at about 3pm and the students were able to get home at about 7pm as the roads were not accessible until the president left the town.
Throughout the time of the president’s visit, assault aircraft were hovering in the sky as the people were left in uneasy suspense.
Meanwhile, international forces are mulling the idea of launching a military action in Nigeria that can rout the insurgents decisively.
The talks about a multinational force gained momentum after the deadly January 3 attack on Baga, Borno State where hundreds of persons were massacred by the terrorists. Although eyewitnesses had put the casualty figure at about 2000, the military authorities said just about 150 persons were the casualties with many of them being the insurgents themselves. The huge number of casualty had drawn a global opprobrium against the terror gang.
Amnesty International, Wednesday, released visual images of the destruction that took place in Baga, as over 3,700 structures were damaged.
According to ABC News the civilians who resisted the insurgents were savagely slaughtered, in one of the bloodiest attacks in the North east.
Source: Thisdaylive
