*Army Chief Gives Troops Ultimatum To Flush Out Bandits From Kwara, Niger
STATE governors, under the aegis of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) have held a closed-door meeting with the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, to discuss the rising insecurity in the country.
This is just as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, on Wednesday, April 23, gave troops one month to flush out bandits terrorising Baruten and Kaiama Local Councils in Kwara State and Borgu and Kainji Forest, Niger State.
The meeting, presided over by Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, was focused on recent incidents of kidnapping, attacks and killings across the country, especilly Plateau, Benue, Kwara and Niger state that have claimed hubndreds of lives and properties destryoed, with many sustaing vary degress of injuries.
Governors of Borno, Ekiti, Adamawa, Kaduna, Bayelsa, Gombe, Ogun, Imo, Oyo, Ondo, Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau, as well as deputy governors of Niger, Enugu and Bauchi states attended the meeting.
Addressing troops at the 22 Armoured Brigade, Sobi Cantonment, Ilorin in Kwara State, Oluyede stated the Nigerian Army would not allow the insurgency in the Northeast to spread to the North Central, stressing the Army’s responsibility to protect Nigeria’s territorial integrity.
He stated: “No single part of the territory will be allowed to be taken over by insurgents in any form, whether as bandits, Boko Haram or by any other name.”
While inspecting the military guard of honour, Oluyede declared: “I’m giving you one month from now to recover all territory in Baruten, Kaiama and areas in the Kainji Forest. These must be restored to Nigeria’s territorial integrity.”
He added: “All of you have promised to fight and recover whatever the insurgents might have taken from the country, and I believe you will keep that promise.”
The Army chief said he was touring the country to ensure national security, noting: “The country is facing some challenges and we must push the insurgents out. In the next one month, I don’t want to see any of the insurgents within our borders again.”
He pledged improved welfare for troops, including better feeding, uniforms, education, medical support and accommodation.
A group identified as Mahmuda recently invaded Kaiama and Baruten Local Councils of Kwara State, while seven persons were killed on Monday in Ilesha Baruba in Baruten Local Council by an unidentified group.
