Inside Nigeria
Governors Await Buhari’s Action on Zulum Attack
Nigerian Governors’ Forum is awaiting President Muhammadu Buhari’s response to their complaints on last week’s attack on Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum by Boko Haram.
They are also concerned about the general insecurity in the country.
These issues formed the major points of discussion at Wednesday’s meeting of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF).
Some of the governors who spoke during the online meeting expressed anger that such an attack against a sitting governor could take place.
Zulum was unhurt, but two of his security aides were injured in the attack believed to have been carried out by Boko Haram fighters.
The governor accused some of the troops on the Baga–Monguno road where the attack took place of sabotage. The military on Wednesday denied it, saying its investigation did not reveal any form of sabotage.
The governors endorsed the position expressed in a letter to Governor Zulum on Monday by NGF chairman and Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi.
The letter criticised the “worsening security situation” in the country as epitome of “our collective vulnerability and the fragility of the country’s security architecture.”
The letter also expressed the readiness of the governors to meet with the President and service chiefs to discuss “this worrisome and rapidly degenerating situation”
Wednesday’s meeting endorsed the plan to meet with the President while they await his action plan on the security situation.
On Tuesday after the National Security Council meeting, the President ordered a rejig of the security apparatus of the country.
On Wednesday, Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, said the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is expecting the delivery of 12 additional Super Tucano aircraft to be deployed in the fight against insurgency
He spoke during an operational visit to the 407 Air Combat Training Group (407 ACTG) Kainji, Niger State.
The Air chief said: “We are expecting additional aircraft paid for by the Federal Government. We are working to get the aircraft out as quickly as possible to add value to what we are doing.”
He described the Super Tucano as particularly important in the fight against insurgency.