President Muhammadu Buhari may
today direct the Nigerian Army to leave Abia State.
An impeccable source made the
disclosure to our correspondent in Abuja Monday night.
The decision, it was gathered,
was to douse tension that has enveloped the region following onslaught against
the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
He said the president, who had
given a matching order to crush anyone engaging in violent acts, had a rethink
following appeals by Southeast governors, elder statesmen and other
stakeholders.
“President Buhari has received
briefings about the operation. Reports show that the agitators have calmed;
further deployment of troops at this point may be read as declaration of war
against Igbos.
“The governors have given him
their word that they are on top of the situation. The IG has already sent
mobile police force to Abia and they are now on ground.
“The announcement will be made
tomorrow (Tuesday). Number of troops will be slashed, while the remaining
detachments will remain to maintain the peace.”
The signal from the president
might have led to the denial by Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai,
that the Defence Headquarters declared IPOB a terrorist organisation.
Speaking during the official
launch of Operation Python Dance II in Abakaliki, Buratai insisted that what
the military did was a “pronouncement”.
“You have to get it very clear.
First of all, what the Defence Headquarters did was to make pronouncement. It
wasn’t a declaration per se. But this has given room for the right step to be
taken. I think the government is doing the right thing.
“It is not that we are
overstepping our bounds. We are still within the limits. And I ensure you that
what the military said was to set the ball rolling and to bring the awareness
to the public that this is what this organization is all about. I’m happy that
the government has done the right thing right now,” he said.
Recall that Abia Governor,
Okezie Ikpeazu, confirmed the withdrawal of troops deployed to the
state for a one-month military exercise code-named “Operation Python Dance”
Ikpeazu spoke when he visited the
secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Abia council to
commiserate with journalists over last Tuesday’s invasion of the secretariat by
soldiers.
“We are grateful to God for
intervening in stopping what could have been the greatest bloodbath known in
the history of mankind”, Ikpeazu said.
He also thanked President Buhari
for reposing confidence in Southeast Governors’ Forum.
‘We thank him for giving us a
second chance to talk to our people on the need for us to live as one united
nation,” he said.
Yesterday, Buhari sent a
delegation of Northern Governors to the South-East and South-South
geo-political zones.
They include Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi and Simon Lalong of Plateau States.
They include Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi and Simon Lalong of Plateau States.
Tambuwal’s spokesman, Imam Imam,
confirmed the trip.
He said the governors will hold
meetings with their counterparts in Rivers, Abia and Imo States.
“Apart from the visit to
political leaderships in those states, the delegation is expected to meet with
traditional and religious leaders. They will also confer with Northerners
resident in those states”, Imam disclosed.
“Importantly, the delegation will
reassure their counterparts in the South South and South East that all
Nigerians are free to stay in all parts of the country, especially in the
North, and that the entire North stands with the people of South East in this
period of heightened tension.
“The visit has the blessing of
President Muhammadu Buhari and the consultations will continue with all
stakeholders so as to enhance unity and peace in the federation.”
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