Boko Haram: Osinbajo meets service chiefs

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday met with security chiefs to discuss efforts to rebuild the parts of the north-east destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents.

In attendance at the meeting which held at the presidential villa in Abuja were Kashim Shettima, governor of Borno sate and officials of the state emergency management agency.

The service chiefs at the meeting were Tukur Buratai, chief of army staff; Abayomi Olonisakin, chief of defence staff; Sadique Abubakar, chief of air staff; Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, chief of naval staff; Babagana Monguno, national security adviser and Mansur Dan-Ali, minister of defence.

Addressing reporters, Shettima said rebuilding of the north-east was the major agenda.

“It was an avenue for us to cross pollinate ideas on the rebuilding of the north-east, the federal government has magnanimously decided to support us in the Bama initiative a very beautiful pilot scheme which we hope will be replicated in all parts of the devastated north-east,” he said.

Asked how much has been committed to the project, he said: “I do not have the mandate to state, it’s not for me to pass judgment on how much is going to be committed but its partnership that will certainly work.”

Shettima also spoke on the suicide attacks in his state, maintaining that Boko Haram has been defeated.

“If you juxtapose the sorry state of affairs two years ago with the current state of affairs, there is cause for celebration,” he said. to me personally even these suicide bombings is a sign of weakness on the part of Boko Haram, two years ago they were holding

“To me personally, even these suicide bombing is a sign of weakness on the part of Boko Haram. Two years ago, they were holding on to 22 out of 27 local government areas. Now, they have been sufficiently decimated.

“I am not under rating their capacity from the state but these are lunatics who bask on the opportunity of publicity to kill and maim so that they can get greater regard in the global Jihadist community. Definitely, we are also coming up with robust response towards addressing this issue of suicide bombing. We have challenges no doubt about it, I am not actually discounting that fact but when you put it in proper context, you will see that a lot has been done, they have been sufficiently decimated so that they can no longer hold on to any territory in the Nigerian federation.”