Army, UN Agencies To Partner On Anti-Insurgency

The Nigerian Army last Saturday, expressed its readiness to collaborate with the United Nations  humanitarian agencies to achieve the goals of the counter-insurgency campaign.
The Theatre Commander, Maj-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru,  Operation LAFIYA DOLE, in an interview with The Tide source, in Maiduguri, reiterated the commitments of the Nigerian Army to work in synergy with UN and other development organisations to address the humanitarian crisis in the North-East region.
“The Nigerian Army is very aware of the need of the UN agencies to discharge their duties and we are ready to support them.
“The army will continue to work toward providing enabling and conducive environment to UN agencies to enhance their operations.
“We are working in the front line with the UN; it is complementing the effort of the government by providing succour to the displaced victims.
“Such working collaboration is imperative to ensure success of the counter-insurgency campaign in the country,” he said.
Commenting on the raid on UN facility in Maiduguri, Attahiru said that the action was based on intelligence  report made available to the military and not intended to tarnish the image of the UN.
The commander disclosed that the army conducted cordon operation in the Pompori area of Maiduguri in search of high profiled Boko Haram insurgents.
Attahiru noted that the house in question does not bear UN designation, adding,  ”we later discovered that the building housed some staff of a UN humanitarian agency”.
He stressed that the cordon and search operation was not specifically targeted at the UN facility, but rather done in the general area of operation.
The commander added that about 30 houses were searched during the exercise, adding that no arrests were made.
According to him, the military recorded significant success in various operations conducted in the theatre in the past two weeks.
“Troops under the Operation LAFIYA DOLE neutralized several Boko Haram insurgents, made arrests and discovered a bomb making factory.
“The development assisted to reduce spate of suicide bombing and insurgents’ attacks.
“It should not be misconstrued that the Nigerian Army is trying to stop the UN from discharging its activities. We are partners in progress in the counter insurgency operations”.
Attahiru warned members of public to shun rumour peddling so as not disrupt relative peace, adding that peace building is a collective responsibility and we must work to achieve it.
Minority Leader of the Senate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, who moved the motion for the new extension, said that it would enable the committee to organise an elective convention that would produce elected national leaders of the party.
The motion which was seconded by a former governor of Jigawa, Alhaji Sule Lamido, was unanimously adopted by the convention delegates.
The delegates also ratified the dissolution of the factional executive committees of the party in Anambra, and authorised Makarfi’s committee to set up a caretaker committee in the state.
The motion on the Anambra issue was moved by Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers, and in adopting it, the delegates mandated the national caretaker committee to organise congresses at all levels in the state as soon as possible.
Also ratified at the convention was the dissolution of executive committees of the party in Adamawa, Borno, Kebbi, Ogun, Kwara, Osun and Lagos, and fresh congresses were ordered to be in the states within three months.
The delegates agreed that the crises in the states should be resolved within the period but prior to the congresses.
The convention also ratified and reaffirmed the election of the party’s executive committees in zones and states where congresses were successfully conducted.
The motion on this was moved by Prof. Jerry Gana and supported by Chief Emeka Ihedioha, a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.