The Senator representing Adamawa North Senatorial District, Ishaku Elisha Abbo, has taken exception to any hindsight of winning war against insurgency in Nigeria, saying that Boko Haram fighters cannot be defeated anytime soon.
Abbo was speaking with DAILY POST on Wednesday in Abuja against the backdrop of security issues at the front burner in the Senate as a result of surges of attacks on Nigeria citizens in the past two weeks.
He explained that the current approach in tackling Boko Haram insurgents by the Nigeria government was unworkable, adding that “the approach was framed for Boko Haram to last forever.”
The lawmaker said the number of Nigeria Soldiers fighting Boko Haram insurgents were grossly inadequate compared to the number of insurgents, while expressing sadness that the Nigeria Military was losing its service men in numbers.
He said government has the responsibility of bringing soldiers back from the war front to reunite with their families and not to get them killed in war front.
His words, “The current arrangement in the fight against Boko Haram, whether intentionally or accidentally is framed to last forever.
“We cannot win this war the way it is going. How do we win the war when the insurgents are in their camps, and we all know the location of Sambisa forest, we all know the terrain, we all know the borders.
“We wait for Boko Haram to come and attack us, then, we repel the attack and we are not taking the fight to them wherever they are to hunt them out. I think some people are not sincere.”
He further questioned government’s sincerity in prosecution of Boko Haram fighters in court, stressing that criminals have been emboldened in joining them.
“From the former President Goodluck Jonathan to President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime, I don’t know how many captured Boko Haram insurgents have been prosecuted successfully by government.
“If Boko Haram fighters have not been apprehended, what stop others from joining the gangs. Now, things have gotten out of hand and I say if there is no change to the current approach, Nigerians should forget it”, the lawmaker insisted.”
He revealed that lawmakers will rework laws on the military, saying that there was no proper coordination among the service officers like those of other jurisdictions.
Abbo wondered what the office of the Chief of Defense Staff doing in the height of insecurity in Nigeria.
“The office of the Chief of Defense Staff, I don’t know what he is doing in that office, because there is no control under him.
“In the United States of America, it is the office of the Chief of Defense Staff that heads the Joint Service Chiefs, the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force.
“Here in Nigeria, the Army is on its own, Navy is on its own, and also the Air Force, and the Chief of Defense Staff has a big office doing nothing,” he maintained.
