Atiku: Nigeria’s inability to defeat Boko Haram puzzles me

Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says Nigeria’s inability to defeat Boko Haram “puzzles” him.

Speaking on Sunday at ‘The People’s Townhall’ organised by Channels Television, the presidential candidate said he cannot understand why Nigeria should still be dealing with the issue of Boko Haram, especially with the deployment of the military.

“I served in Borno state and as a customs officer, I was patrolling the entire north-east. So, I am very conversant with the vegetation and with the border areas. I still cannot find a place in the Borno area where anybody can hide and cannot be seen,” he said.

“I honestly cannot understand the Boko Haram phenomenon. Where is the place to hide? To the extent that they said there’s a place called Sambisa. I’ve been there; I didn’t see a forest. It’s just shrubs here and there.

“We have deployed the Nigerian military, which used to be one of the best in the world, in a number of international arenas, and they have excelled. And here we are deploying the Nigerian Army with all its might, and we just couldn’t eliminate Boko Haram.

“I am puzzled. Maybe when I get there, I will understand.”

Speaking on how he would improve security, while making reference to the security architecture of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Abubakar said there’s a need for reform.

“I have been to several parts of the world. One of the security architectures that I admire is the UAE security architecture. It is primarily based on monitoring,” he said.

“You don’t see policeman in uniform in UAE; you don’t see soldiers. But eventually everybody’s being monitored on a daily basis and particularly if you’re a visitor.

“From the moment you step into the country and go out, you are being watched. That is the deployment of technology as far as security is concerned.

“We have to look at the current security structure. How do we reform it to ensure that we give people the most secure environment wherever they may be?”