Terrorism: FG puts security agencies on alert

The Nigerian military has been battling Boko Haram insurgents since 2009.

The Minister of Defence, Mansur Muhammad Dan-Ali  dropped the hint today in Abuja, during the presentation of report by the committee set up to advise Government on the Handover of Areas liberated in the North East to the Civil Law Enforcement Agencies.

While reiterating the Federal Government’s determination to defeat Boko Haram and other extreme groups in the country, the minister said the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Administration, was ready to partner with any nation in the fight against terrorism.

“Let me also use this opportunity to warn any person or group of individual or organisations under whatever cover who wish to test the collective will of this administration to know that we will not fold our arms and allow them destroy our nation. All relevant security agencies of the Federal republic of Nigeria have been mobilised and directed to swing into action to identify and crush any possible threat to our security,” he said.

“Without contradicting the content of your report you will agrees with me (that) appreciable successes have been recorded against the Boko Haram insurgents since the inception of President Muhamad Buhari as the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces,” he added. 

“Once again, I want to assure you and indeed all Nigerians that government remains totally unchanged in its commitment of eradicating insurgency and criminality in the North East in particular and the nation in general.”

Earlier, Chairman of the Committee for Hand-over of liberated territories civil authority, Azagaku Umar said his committee advised government to provide mortgages, skills and other relevant incentives to displaced persons, to enable them start life afresh.

“…we didn’t have significant presence in the civil and security law enforcement  agencies or outfits and the local authorities to some extent were not significantly present in the liberated areas. But with the efforts by the military to liberate these areas, there is the need to fill this vacuum. 

“We went and accessed the areas and gave our own advise accordingly…Some of them have lost everything, they will really require some assistance to take off again, even if it is a form of mortgage or whatever skill government has in mind. We have advised them in that direction.