President, Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday ended a one-day visit to Borno State capital and epicentre of Boko Haram and Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorism, pledging more proactive and decisive measures end terrorism in Nigeria, once and for all.
President Buhari had arrived Maiduguri straight from Ethiopia where he attended the African Union Summit.
He visited the State to commiserate with them on last Sunday night’s killing of 30 people and abduction of many women and children and destruction of property in the village of Auno on the key Maiduguri-Damaturu highway.
During the visit, the President visited Shehu of Borno’s Palace, the paramount traiditonal leader in Northeast Nigeria before being hosted at the Borno State Government House by Governor Babagana Umara Zulum.
President Buhari said in Maiduguri during the sympathy visit that intelligence sharing and synergy between law enforcement agencies and the civil populace are critical towards achieving the objectives of ending the Boko Haram ISWAP terrorism.
According to the President: “I assure you that improvement in security will be pursued vigorously. The military will work harder and strategise with tactics to deal with the insurgents. This is however not possible without good intelligence and cooperation with local community leaders. Boko Haram cannot come up to Maiduguri or environs without the local leadership knowing because traditionally, the local leadership is in charge of security in their own respective areas.
“I want to call on the leadership at various levels to cooperate with law enforcement agencies and let us deny Boko Haram access to our loyal citizens. We will do our best and I hope history will be kind to us; to recall what was on the ground when we came and what will be on the ground when we leave.”
President Muhammadu who was at the palace of the Shehu of Borno, His Royal Highness Abubakar Ibn Umar Gabai, accompanied by the state Governor, Professor Zulum, sympathised with him and other victims of the attack, praying for the repose of the soul of the victims.
In his remarks, Governor Zulum thanked the President for identifying with the state in these trying times.
He praised the efforts of the military so far, wondering why some people would be comparing the security situation now with what obtained before the Buhari administration came on board: “Roads were closed. There were sporadic bombings everywhere even within the metropolis. Close to 20 local government areas were under Boko Haram. We are surprised that there seems to be resurgence in 2019.”
He tasked the military to borrow from their successes especially between 2015 and 2017, take the battle to the insurgents and push them to the fringes of Lake Chad.
He also urged the security agencies to be patient with the civilian populace and give opportunities to the Internally Displaced Persons to access their communities in order to return to their occupations.
