Magnus Eze in Maiduguri
Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, on Monday, indicted the immediate past Theatre Commander of the Joint military force fighting in the northeast, code named, Operation LAFIYA DOLE, Major General Ibrahim Attahiru, describing him as ‘incompetent’.
The governor said what could not be achieved by a northern army officer had been done by his successor, Major Gen. Nicholas Rogers, an officer of Southeast origin.
Specifically, the governor pointed out that the successes recorded by the military in the last six weeks could not be realised in three years.
Governor Shettima spoke during a special town hall meeting on security in the Northeast, in Maidugiri, the Borno State capital, on Monday.
He, however, urged the Federal Government to give the Nigerian Army all the needed support especially this dry season, as according to him, the forest would become inaccessible during the rainy season and give the insurgents room to regroup.
On his part, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who led a Federal Government delegation to the meeting, said the security forces had sufficiently degraded insurgency in the region.
Alhaji Mohammed told the governor that the special town hall meeting was convened to let the world appreciate the efforts of the Federal and State Governments in returning normalcy to the region.
Minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abduraman Danbazzau (rtd), Defence Minister, Brig.-Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali (rtd), Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Sen. Ali Ndume, Theatre Commander, Operation LAFIYA DOLE, DG NOA Dr. Garba Abari, were all present at the town hall meeting.