Shehu of Borno, His Royal Highness (HRH), Alhaji Abubakar Umar Ibn Garbai Elkanemi, has dismissed claims by security operatives that the ongoing military operations, particularly in some parts of the state and the Lake Chad Region, was yielding positive result.

He insisted that even in Maiduguri, the state capital, residents and farmers cannot move out of the city beyond 5 kilometres without being killed or kidnapped by insurgents.

This is even as Organised Labour yesterday pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately sack all service chiefs and heads of the nation’s security apparatus and set up a high-powered probe into the immediate and remote causes leading to recent slaughter of over 100 soldiers by Boko Haram terrorists in Melete, Borno State. The monarch stated this when President Muha-mmadu Buhari paid him a courtesy call at his palace in Shehuri, Maiduguri.

The President had visited the monarch before proceeding to the Chief of Army Staff Annual Conference where he was special guest of honour.

The recent onslaught by terrorists have left over 20 farmers killed, while harvesting their crops in their farmlands, with several villages of Bale Shuwa, Mammanti and surrounding communities of Konduga, Mafa Council areas on the outskirt of the metropolis, razed by rampaging terrorists without confrontation.

The Shehu of Borno, while applauding President Buhari in the fight against Boko Haram, said there was much to be done for the people of the state to be free from terrorists atrocities.

He said: “On behalf of the traditional institution in Borno, I want to commend Your Excellency for the commitment you have given towards ending the lingering crisis of Boko Haram

“It is unfortunate that despite all efforts put in place to restore peace in our land and the North East, we the people of Borno State are still under Boko Haram siege.

“Nobody can dare move out of Maiduguri by 10 kilometres without being confronted/attacked by Boko Haram.

“Quite a number of farmers are being killed and kidnapped on a daily basis around Molai General Area, which is just 10 kilometres away from the metropolis, along Maiduguri -Damboa -Biu road.

“Most of the surrounding villages and communities in Konduga, Damboa, Mafa and other local government areas have been razed down in the last two weeks.

“We plead that the federal government and the security agencies review the strategies in nipping this lingering crisis in the bud.” Meanwhile, Organised Labour has pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to sack all service chiefs and heads of the nation’s security apparatus, and set up a high-powered probe into the immediate and remote causes leading to recent slaughter of 100 soldiers by the Boko Haram.

Speaking through the United Labour Congress of Nigeria, ULC, Labour said the killing of the soldiers was not only shocking and a national disgrace, but also symptomatic of the deep failure of the Nigerian state to respond proactively in defence of itself and institutions against the onslaught of evil organisations such as Boko Haram.

In a statement by Mr. Joe Ajaero, organised labour reiterated its calls for an urgent review of the nation’s security architecture, stressing that Federal Government should immediately set up a board of inquiry made up of the civil society, retired military top brass, representatives of the judiciary and the legislature to investigate the military’s handling of the Boko Haram insurgency, while all the service chiefs are suspended from office, pending conclusion of investigations.

•Sourced from a Vanguard report

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