Buhari, NSA meet over Boko Haram …President to visit Niger, Chad

President Muhammadu Buhari on
Monday held a closed door meeting
with the National Security Adviser,
Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).
It was learnt that the meeting,
which held at the Defence House,
Abuja, was aimed at assessing the
security situation in the country,
against the backdrop of renewed
attacks by the Boko Haram sect.
It was gathered that the President
was concerned about the renewed
attacks by the sect and the duo
discussed ways of checking the
insurgents.
Investigations also revealed that
the meeting centred on ways of
carrying out the President’s plan on
the relocation of the military
central command to Maiduguri, the
Borno State capital.
Buhari, had in his inaugural speech
said, “The command centre will be
relocated to Maiduguri and remain
until Boko Haram is completely
subdued. But we cannot claim to
have defeated Boko Haram without
rescuing the Chibok girls and all
other innocent persons held
hostage by insurgents.”
After the meeting with the
President on Monday, Dasuki,
however, declined comments
when approached by reporters.
The President’s media office,
however, announced that Buhari
would on Wednesday and
Thursday, visit Niger and Chad in
furtherance of his desire to subdue
the sect.
The Senior Special Assistant to the
President on Media and Publicity,
Mallam Garba Shehu, said the
President would travel to Chad and
Niger for talks on the Boko Haram
menace.
This will be the President’s first
official visit outside the country
since assuming office.
According to Shehu, the two-day
trip, will focus on “matters of
security,” because Nigeria needs
the cooperation of its neighbours
to succeed in its campaign against
the terrorist sect whose activities
have so far claimed an estimated
over 15,000 lives since 2009.
He said, “Buhari will go to Niger
Republic on Wednesday and will
spend a night there before
proceeding to Chad the next day
(Thursday).”
Contrary to the widespread
speculations that the President will
immediately relieve the service
chiefs of their appointments, there
are indications that he will hold a
meeting with them within the next
few days.
The service chiefs who were
appointed on January 16, 2014 are
the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief
Marshal Alex Badeh; the Chief of
Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Kenneth
Minimah; the Naval Chief, Vice
Admiral Jibrin Usman; and the Chief
of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola
Amosu.
Investigations by one of our
correspondents revealed that the
President’s pronouncement
directing that the military should
move its command and control
centre for the ongoing operation
against the sect in the North-East,
has ignited serious interest in
military circles.
It was gathered that the decision
had caused disquiet within military
circles.
A security official who spoke to one
of our correspondents on the
condition of anonymity said the
statement was politically
reassuring but could pose tactical
challenges.
The official explained that since the
military was involved in multiple
operations across various theatres
within Nigeria, it would raise
tactical issues to move the
command and control centre to one
theatre of operation.
He observed that the Americans
had Africom command for Africa
based in Germany and they had
another base in Oman for the Gulf
States; stressing that moving the
DHQ to Maiduguri was not
necessary.