Boko Haram attacks on troops: Buhari summons service chiefs

Worried by Boko Haram’s renewed attacks on military bases in the North-East, President Muhammadu Buhari has summoned all the Service Chiefs for a review session.

The President has also sent the Minister of Defence, Brig-Gen Mansur Dan Ali (rtd), to the neighbouring Republic of Chad for an urgent meeting with President Idris Deby and his defence counterpart.

It was also learnt that the deterioration in the security situation on the Nigeria-Chad border has led to recent increase in the activities of Boko Haram in the area.

At press time, the Federal Government was establishing contacts with the families of the victim soldiers.

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A reliable source said: “The President has called for an urgent meeting with the Service Chiefs.

“Also, the families of the latest victims of Boko Haram are being identified and contacts made before a government pronouncement on the tragic attacks.

“This, it is understood, is the reason for the silence of the government over the incident.”

One of diplomatic sources in Abuja, who did not want to be named, said: “Nigeria has a Chad problem in the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) put together to secure the Lake Chad basin areas and repel the Boko Haram terrorism attacks against all the countries neighbouring the Lake.

“Chad is believed to be having its own internal security challenges and these have reportedly led to their pulling away their own troops manning their own border around Lake Chad.

“That lacuna is being exploited by the Boko Haram terrorists who go in and out of Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon to launch terrorist acts.

“This is a clear illustration of the fact that terrorism is beyond national borders.”

When contacted, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said he was “aware that the Defence Minister is going to Chad but unaware of his mission there.”

A top military source, who spoke in confidence, said: “Most of the attacks were actually coming from Chad flank of the war against the insurgents.

“The insurgents take advantage of sudden withdrawal of Chadian troops for some assignments without adequate communication.

“We are however doing our best to address the coordination gaps. We will soon rout out these rampaging insurgents.”