Rochas Okorocha, Imo state
governor, says Nigeria should be declared as a nation at war over the recent
killings of soldiers by Boko Haram insurgents in Borno.
Daily Trust quoted the governor
to have said this when officers from the Armed Forces Command and Staff College
(AFCSC) Jaji, Kaduna, paid him a courtesy visit at the government house,
Owerri, Imo state capital.
Soldiers in the north-east have
been under a series of attacks by the insurgents in the last two weeks.
The Islamic State in West Africa
(ISWA), a faction of the Boko Haram sect, claimed responsibility for the
attacks.
While there were reports that
over 100 soldiers lost their lives, the army said it lost 39 of its troops.
Okorocha said the loss of 10
soldiers is enough to declare Nigeria at war, “not to talk about 40 soldiers.”
He likened the insecurity
situation in the country to what was obtainable in Imo when he assumed office.
“A nation has to be in a serious
war to lose 10 soldiers, not to talk about 40 soldiers. So Nigeria must declare
itself as a nation at war,” Okorocha said.
“What I think is happening in the
North-East is what was happening here in Imo State when I came in 2011. Owerri
was notorious for kidnapping and we were number one State for kidnapping when I
came in to the extent that by 5.30 or 6pm everybody had gone home for fear of
being kidnapped. But we tackled it and overcame.”
On Thursday, President Muhammadu
Buhari went to N’Djamena, Chad, to preside over the summit of heads of states
and governments of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC).
The president met with five
African presidents to review the security situation in the region and intensify
efforts to tackle the Boko Haram insurgency and other security challenges.
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com