President Muhammadu Buhari has described Boko Haram
insurgents in the north-east as “mere scavengers desperate for food”.
Speaking at a virtual meeting in the presidential villa on
Tuesday, Buhari said the service chiefs had done their best but they need to
develop in terms of intelligence gathering.
The meeting was attended by the Vice-President Yemi
Osinbajo, heads of defence, security, intelligence agencies, and members of the
security committee of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF).
Gabriel Olonisakin, chief of defence staff; Tukur Buratai,
chief of army staff; Sadique Abubakar, chief of air staff, and Ibok-Ete Ekwe
Ibas, chief of naval staff, were in attendance.
The president expressed concern over insurgents’ access to
small weapons despite border closure.
“These terrorists are in the localities. How is it that they
are not short of small arms? We have said enough on the need for them to rejig
their operations,” Garba Shehu, presidential spokesman, quoted him to have
said.
“I am glad that there is better synergy and cooperation
which are very important. I have directed the Service Chiefs to meet among
themselves in-between the National Security Council meetings.
“The services have resources; yes, they need more, and
mobility, and are doing their best, but there is a need for better gathering
and interpretation of intelligence. Our intelligence-gathering must be
improved.”
Discarding the assumption that insurgents in the north-east
possess better weapons than the military, the president reportedly said what is
left of them are: “mere scavengers desperate for food, raiding shops and
markets, and killing innocent persons in the process.”
Buhari informed the governors of the imminent shipment of
military weapons and aircraft from Jordan, China and the United States, but
added that patience is required because the new weapons and aircraft must be
manned by trained fighters and pilots.
He also expressed satisfaction with the level of naval
activity in the Gulf of Guinea, using newly-acquired equipment, but demanded
that hard-to-reach areas of Lake Chad where Boko Haram terrorists have found
new havens, as well as the forests now inhabited by bandits, must be accessed
and rid of nefarious elements.
“The Chief of Defence Staff has spoken about their study of
the forests and their potential danger to security. We must make sure we follow
the bandits and terrorists, but there must not be deforestation in view of the
climate situation,” he said.
Among other reactions, the governors urged Buhari to
consider a “bail out” for security of the states in view of expended funds in
support of the military and police efforts in combating insecurity.
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