By Abdullahi M. Gulloma
Abuja
Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, said yesterday that the nation’s security agencies were not helpless in the war against Boko Haram insurgents following the recent capture of cities, especially Mubi and his hometown of Vintim in Adamawa state.
Responding to enquiries from State House correspondents in Abuja, Badeh said Nigerians should stop laying much emphasis on the capture of his hometown by the sect because his primary concern was to secure the entire country.
He said: “If CDS loses his hometown, it is the same thing as losing Lagos. Any part of Nigeria that is lost, the CDS carries the weight. It is immaterial whether it is my hometown, whether it is my house that is burnt or it is Emeka’s house that is burnt. Whoever’s house is burnt in Nigeria, the CDS is pained.”
Meanwhile, the Council of State said yesterday at the end of its meeting in Abuja that even though negotiations were ongoing to free the girls abducted by Boko Haram at a school in Chibok, Borno state, no deal had been reached yet with their abductors.
Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom state, who briefed journalists after the meeting, said the National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd), told the council that there had been high level discussion with the Republic of Chad and persons who acted on behalf of Boko Haram, but no agreement had been reached.
“The NSA was of the opinion that high level contact with the Republic of Chad was made and that some persons who acted on behalf of Boko Haram and who claimed to have authority also had discussions with them and there are some Nigerian officials with them and, of course, no agreement has been reached yet.
“It is just that the press probably misunderstood what was reported, the discussions are on-going. What came out of the NSA briefings was that the president will do everything possible to ensure the release of those young girls and to ensure protection of lives and property and that will include dialogue, where you can have the people to dialogue with because you cannot dialogue with people that are faceless and therefore every opportunity must be explored to ensure peace returns to the region.”
The governor said the media was responsible for the current misunderstanding and misrepresentation of the details of the discussion between the federal government and the sect.
