President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday summoned Service Chiefs over the recent alleged killing of 44 Nigerian soldiers by Boko Haram Insurgents.
The president also sent the Minister of Defence, Brig.Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali, to neighbouring Chad Republic as part of moves to unravel the mystery behind the gruesome killing of the soldiers by the insurgents.
According to a report by The Punch, Dan-Ali got a presidential mandate to meet with the President of Chad, Idris Deby, and the neighbouring country’s top military hierarchy to review the deteriorating security situation along the Chad-Niger-Nigeria borderline.
Recall that Boko Haram attacks have witnessed a resurgence lately along the common borders, with Nigeria said to have paid a costly price with the lives of the 44 soldiers and many villagers between Sunday and last Monday.
The soldiers were killed in Metele, a village along the Nigerian border with Niger Republic.
A military source quoted by APF, had disclosed that the soldiers were completely taken unawares and killed.
The insurgents were said to have arrived in the Borno State village in 20 trucks before launching the deadly attacks.
“Our troops were completely routed and the terrorists captured the base after heavy fighting”, the military source further stated.
It was gathered on Friday that after a review of the security situation by the Nigerian authorities, the main cause of the problem was traced to the weakening Multi-National Joint Task Force put in place by the countries to patrol the borders.
However, Chad reportedly withdrew its own men from the force, leaving its flanks on the borders open for the insurgents to launch attacks freely lately into other countries.
The source added, “That lacuna is being exploited by the Boko Haram terrorists, who go in and out of Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon to launch attacks.
“This is a clear illustration of the fact that terrorism is beyond national borders.”
When contacted for comments on Friday, the Senior Special Assistant to Buhari on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, confirmed that Dan-Ali indeed travelled to Chad.
However, he claimed not to know the purpose of the minister’s trip to the neighbouring country.