48 hours after meeting with President Goodluck
Jonathan at the Presidential Villa on Monday, Borno State governor, Alhaji
Kashim Shettima, returned on Wednesday following fresh attacks carried out by
Boko Haram terrorists in the early hours of the day in Bama town.
Following
weekend’s initial attack, which led to the death of 106 persons in Idzge alone,
the governor had last Monday met with the president to brief him, after which
he declared to State House correspondents that the insurgents could not be
defeated because they were better armed that the armed forces.
Also
speaking to State House correspondents after Wednesday’s meeting, Shettima said
he came to brief Jonathan on the latest attack in Bama, which, he said, caused
substantial damage to the town.
Denying
that he had been summoned because of the incessant terrorist attacks in his
state, the governor remarked that he was at the State House on his own accord
to update the president on the happenings in Borno.
“There was
an attack on Bama. We are yet to get the actual number of casualties, but I am
told they have inflicted a lot of damage on the town, otherwise the military
are doing their best,” he said, adding, “I came on my own. He is the President
of Nigeria for God’s sake. Why can’t I come and update him? Is it wrong or is
it a crime to do so?”
On whether
he stood by his declaration that Boko Haram could not be defeated following the
Presidency’s reaction on Tuesday, the governor declined comment, saying, “I
don’t want to comment. He is our president and I am here to update him on the
goings on in Bama and I don’t want to make additional comments.”
Fielding
questions from State House correspondents after his Monday meeting with
Jonathan, he had maintained that Borno was in a state of war as he observed
that the insurgents had more sophisticated weapons than the military which, he
said, enabled them to operate at will.
“But honestly, Boko Haram are better armed and are better motivated than
our own troops. And believe me, I am eternal optimist as I have always said but
I am also a realist. Given the present state of affairs, it is absolutely
impossible for us to defeat Boko Haram,” he had said.
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