Press Statement – Increased Citizen Vigilance Can Curb Boko Haram
ABOVE; CHILDREN AMONG THOSE BURNT BY BOKO HARAM IN DALORI VILLAGE NORTH-EAST NIGERIA ON SATURDAY while below BUHARI IN OGUN STATE TO CELEBRATE 40 YEAR ANNIVERSARY WITH GOVERNOR OSUN MONDAY AND TUESDAY
The attack on peaceful residents of Dalori village on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, north east Nigeria on Saturday night during which about 100 residents were reported dead, almost same day when suicide bombers killed several people in Chibok as well as Madagali in Adamawa State is not only condemnable but calls for a review of the ongoing battle against the terror group, Boko Haram.
We are disturbed that while the Nigerian military have succeeded in weakening the group’s strength and capabilities, fragments of the group seem to have developed new tactics that looks more dangerous and deadlier as they take on victims through surprise attacks mostly at night, moving in fewer convoys to beat security.
This calls for more vigilance on the part of citizens and increased proactive actions by security agencies who should step up their proficiencies in preventing attacks rather than occupying scenes of these attacks just after the monstrous criminality has been committed.
While we applaud the military for the successes that have been achieved in the last few months we believe with increased citizens’ alertness and pre-emptive actions by security agencies, the terror group would be wiped off completely.
The isolated attacks on soft targets which they now carry out is an obvious indication of their feebleness but this cannot and must not be taken for granted by the military and other security agencies who must create more effective synergy with residents in intelligence gathering as it is now unmistakeably obvious that the terror group has been severely dislocated while many of them seem to have mixed up with unsuspecting residents, which makes nowhere in Nigeria safe since they now disguise as beggars, lunatics etc to bomb crowded places, especially markets through suicide bombing.
We commiserate with the families of the victims of these attacks and appeal to government at all levels to compensate and resettle the families of the victims.
Comrade Ayuba Wabba, mni
President
