President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the repeated attacks by bandits on communities in Niger State and its environs, directing the Nigerian Air Force to deploy its fighter aircraft in checking the menace.
\nThe president gave the directive in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja, yesterday.
\nBuhari described the repeated attacks which led to the loss of several lives in the affected communities \u201cas a disaster for the nation\u201d.
\nHe, therefore, authorised the deployment of air power to support troops and policemen deployed to the \u201cdifficult terrain,\u201d to counter the menace of the attackers operating in the forest area bordering Kaduna, Niger and Zamfara states.
\nIn line with this directive, according to the presidential aide, the Nigerian Air Force is setting up refuelling facilities at Minna, Niger State, to support the air operations.
\nShehu revealed that relevant military authorities had assured the president that given the improved weather conditions, a major exercise to \u201cvisually acquire targets\u201d and launch attacks would soon follow.
\nHe said: \u201cPresident Buhari has received assurances that with the harmattan dust gradually easing its hold on the skies, fighter aircraft would this week join the efforts to provide effective air attacks against bandits, kidnappers and cattle rustlers that have been attacking remote communities around Dogon Gona forest in Niger State.\u201d
\nHe added that the Police Command in Niger had equally given assurances that \u201cthe planned dedicated air raids to complement the police helicopter gunship operations remain the best approach given the lack of motorized roads in the areas constantly under attack\u201d.
\nBuhari commiserated with the government and people of Niger State over the attacks and loss of lives, and assured that affected communities would not be abandoned by the rest of the country.
\nMeanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has urged federal lawmakers to upon resumption, tomorrow, use its legislative instruments to invite President Muhammadu Buhari to address it on the worsening security situation across the country.
\nThe party, in a statement, yesterday, premised its call on what it called \u201cthe alarming Global Terrorism Index report by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), which ranked Nigeria as the third country with the highest level of terrorism in 2019, after Iran and Afghanistan.\u201d
\nSigned by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP described the report as \u201cdistressing particularly as its indices show that insecurity and deaths from acts of terrorism increased in Nigeria in spite of promises by the current administration.\u201d
\nThe statement further continued: \u201cThe party notes that the IEP rating has further confirmed its position that the security of lives and property in our nation has gone beyond what the Buhari administration\u2019s security architecture, as presently composed, can guarantee.
\n\u201cOur party posits that the issue of security has gone beyond partisan and sectional sentiments as well as propaganda and now requires a concerted effort by all stakeholders to compel a review of security structure and method by Mr President.
\n\u201cThe PDP, as a pan-Nigerian platform, urges the National Assembly to step in by persuading President Buhari to heed wise counsel and rejig his security high command so as to inject new blood to tackle our security challenges.
\n\u201cThe party also urges the National Assembly to compel President Buhari to take a decisive step in ordering the apprehension and prosecution of perpetrators of acts of terrorism including the mass killing in Benue, Nasarawa, Bauchi, Taraba, Kogi, Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Zamfara, Kaduna, Ekiti and other parts of the country under the current administration.
\n\u201cThe failure to track down and prosecute the perpetrators of heinous crimes had continued to embolden marauders, insurgents, bandits and kidnappers to further ravage communities and major highways, beheading compatriots, killing, maiming and taking innocent citizens captives in droves, to the extent that our nation has become the third with the highest level of terrorism in the world.
\n\u201cIndeed, this is not the way to go. Our party restates that such situation should not have been allowed to fester and degenerate to this abyss.
\n\u201cWhile the PDP salutes the gallantry and patriotism of our troops fighting and daily risking their lives in the fronts, our party charges the National Assembly to use its legislative instruments to invite Mr President Buhari for an appropriate briefing as a prelude to decisive step towards ensuring adequate security in our country\u201d, the PDP argued.
\nSimilarly, no fewer than four persons were said to have died during a suicide attack on a mosque in Gwoza, in Borno State, yesterday.
\nGwoza was at the peak of the ongoing Boko Haram insurgency, the administrative capital and caliphate of the terrorist group.
\nIt was reported that the suicide bomber ran into a group of worshippers during early morning prayer.
\nAs at the time of filing this report, yesterday, no official confirmation has been received from the government or the military authorities.
\nHowever, the Nigerian Army troops of \u2018Operation Lafiya Dole\u2019 have foiled efforts by the Boko Haram insurgents to attack some soft targets in Borno State.
\nThe Nigerian Army Operations Media Coordinator, Col. Aminu Iliyasu, who disclosed this in a statement, yesterday, said the troops also continued to decimate the insurgents from different encounters across the North-East.
\nIliyasu disclosed that the troops of 3 Battalion deployed in Gamborou-Ngala Local Government Area of Borno had on January 18 repelled a Boko Haram attack on the Ngala community.
\nAccording to him, the insurgents sneaked into the peaceful community in five gun trucks, motorcycles and a number of foot soldiers through the rear of a humanitarian hub.
\n\u201cThey used a farm as cover with the heinous intent to unleash one of the most devastating terror attacks in recent times.
\n\u201cFortunately for the residents, the vigilant troops responded swiftly, engaging the criminals with overwhelming superior firepower, thereby forcing them to beat a hasty retreat in complete disarray.
\n\u201cDuring the ensuing pursuit and exploitation embarked upon by the troops, one Boko Haram criminal suicide truck driver strapped with a suicide vest was neutralised.
\n\u201cItems captured during the encounter include one AK-47 rifle, one FN rifle, one motorcycle and one heavily-laden vehicle borne Improvised Explosive Device (IED) with deadly explosive materials,\u201d he said.
\nIliyasu added that preliminary investigations revealed that vehicles laden with IEDs and suicide bombers were heading to the IDP Camp in Gamborou-Ngala before the troops foiled the attack.
\nHe added that five humanitarian workers who took refuge in a bunker during the attack were successfully rescued by the troops.
\nAccording to him, on January 24, troops of the same 3 Battalion deployed at Ngala bridge repelled another Boko Haram attack on their location.
\nHe disclosed that the insurgents, who came in three gun trucks and a number of foot soldiers late afternoon, were engaged by the troops and inflicted heavy casualty on both their men and equipment.
\nThe spokesperson disclosed that two of the three gun trucks belonging to the terrorists were captured at the end of the encounter.
\nHe added that two anti-aircraft guns, one GPMG gun, two AK-47 rifles, one GPMG barrel, 688 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, 20 rounds of PKT ammunition and 63 rounds of 50 ammunition were also captured.
\n\u201cOne neutralised body of the criminal insurgents was recovered during exploitation while several other bodies and the wounded were believed to be carted away as evident by the trails of blood found along their withdrawal route.
\n\u201cSimilarly, on January 24, troops of 7 Division decisively cleared a Boko Haram ambush while on clearance operations between Firgi and Banki Junction in Bama Local Government Area of Borno.
\n\u201cIn the aftermath of the encounter, two Boko Haram criminals were neutralised while others are believed to have escaped with varying degrees of gunshot wounds\u201d, he was quoted as saying.
\nHowever, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 2 Division, Ibadan, Maj-Gen Anthony Omozoje, has advised officers and men of the Nigerian Army to remain disciplined and continue to abide by existing regulations.
\nOmozoje made the call during the Fire Night organised as part of activities marking the West African Social Activity (WASA) for 2019 in Okitipupa.
\nRepresented by the Chief of Staff of 4 Brigade, Benin, Col. Auwal Haruna, Omozoje said: \u201cTo the officers and soldiers of this battalion, I hereby congratulate you for seeing the end of another demanding year.
\n\u201cI want to use this opportunity to implore you all to remain disciplined and continue to abide by all existing regulations as well as instructions that will be passed to you from time to time.
\n\u201cWe must also be focused and stand firm in order to checkmate militancy, bunkering, vandalism of oil and gas infrastructure, piracy and kidnapping, among other criminal activities in the state and Nigeria at large,\u201d Omozoje said.
\nThe GOC further charged the officers and soldiers to discharge their lawful duties without intimidating citizens.
\nHe called on members of the public to cooperate with the Nigerian Army and other security agencies to ensure that crimes were reduced in the country.
\nThe Nigerian Army has been at the forefront of battle against insurgency in Nigeria.
\nRecently, troops of Operation Lafiya Dole prevented efforts by the Boko Haram insurgents to attack some soft targets in Borno State.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the repeated attacks by bandits on communities in Niger State and its environs, directing the Nigerian Air Force to deploy its fighter aircraft in checking the menace. The president gave the directive in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja, yesterday. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":225953,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[76,26],"tags":[688],"class_list":["post-225939","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-front-pix","tag-front-pix"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/225939","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=225939"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/225939\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/225953"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=225939"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=225939"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=225939"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}