By Bode Olushegun
Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, has ordered the military to rout Boko Haram insurgents in all their hideouts in the Northeast, insisting that the battle should be taken to them.
The President gave the order on Monday in response to the killing of over 40 rice farmers in Borno State.
The President’s latest directive was disclosed by a federal government delegation which visited Borno state Governor, Babagana Zulum, at the Government House, Maiduguri.
Recall that 43 farmers were on Saturday slaughtered by Boko Haram insurgents in Koshebe, Mafa local government area of troubled Borno State.
The Senate President, Dr Ahmed Lawan, who led the federal government’s delegation, said the visit was at the instance of President Muhammadu Buhari to commiserate with government and people of Borno state over the “senseless killings.”
He assured the people of the state that fighting insecurity remained top priority of government, noting that all the needed resources would be provided to prosecute the war on terror in Borno and other criminal activities in different parts of the country.
He noted that the President had ordered that the battle should be taken to all the hideouts of the insurgents.
In his response, Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum said the security situation had evolved from what it was in 2015.
He appealed to the federal government to recruit more youths of the state into the armed forces and other security agents.
He also said the services of security forces from neighbouring countries should be engaged to clear the remnants of the insurgents from the shores of Lake Chad, even as he asked that high calibre equipment should be provided to Nigeria Police.
He equally called on the National Assembly to increase budgetary allocation to the Northeast.
He said the N45 billion appropriated for capital projects to the Northeast in the 2021 fiscal year was not enough.
Others in the delegation include Chief of Staff to the President, Ministers of Federal Capital Territory, Communications and Digital Economy, Ministers of State for Agriculture and that of Works and Housing.
The delegation while in the state visited the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Garbai Elkanemi.
They were also at Zabarmari to condole with families of victims.
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